What Comes Next?
by Bex-La-Get
Summary: Voldemort is dead and the war is over... now what? A story about healing, love, and moving on. No definitive update schedule. Harmony. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Because I have no self control and because I love you guys, I'm posting the first chapter of my new Harmony story now. Be warned: there is NO, I repeat, NO definitive update schedule right now as I start summer classes on Monday and I don't know how busy my schedule will be.**_

 _ **Good luck to everyone studying for finals and Congratulations to the Class of 2016! Here's to a great summer!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

 _May 1998_

Harry woke up the morning of May 3rd with a pounding in his head, his body screaming in pain, and still utterly exhausted. If it were up to him, he'd still be asleep but his body seemed to have other ideas and insisted that he wake up. He groaned and opened his eyes to his dorm room. It had only been a year since he had last been in there but it felt much longer than that; it felt like decades, almost.

Sitting up and stretching out his sore limbs, he looked around the room. Ron, Seamus, and Dean were all still fast asleep while Neville was nowhere to be found. Harry shrugged, not thinking much about it.

Getting out of bed was a struggle, considering how sore he was, but he forced himself to move and get into the shower. The second he stepped in, he sighed in relief as the hot water ran over his sore muscles and injured body. He watched as the water washed the dirt, smoke, and dried blood off his body and down the drain. As he watched, he laughed as the symbolism behind the washing away of the previous day meant: a cleaning of the past, washing away all your troubles, a fresh start. He chuckled to himself as he thought what Hermione would think of that. "How Freudian," she'd probably say.

When the water began to run clear, Harry finished up his shower then stepped out, wrapping a towel around himself. He realized that he had no clean clothes to change into and frankly, dreaded the idea of changing back into his burned, smelly clothes from before but didn't have much of a choice otherwise.

He was surprised to find, however, when he walked back into the dorm that an elf had laid out clothes for him and was currently doing the same for Ron. When the elf saw him, he stopped and looked at Harry, unsure what to do. Harry simply nodded in thanks and the little elf smiled and returned the nod, finished laying out Ron's clothes, then disappeared with a 'pop.'

Harry threw on the fresh clothes that the elf had laid out for him (noticing that his and Ron's beat up clothes were now gone), grabbed his wand, and walked downstairs to find the common room empty except for one person.

Hermione was looking out the window, her arms wrapped around herself, a small smile on her face. She turned when she heard footsteps and smiled at Harry. "Hey."

"Hey," he smiled. He joined her at the window to see what she was looking at. Ginny and Neville were wandering the grounds, talking, and holding hands. Neville said something that made Ginny laugh and he smiled at her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. When Ginny wrapped her arms around Neville's neck, deepening the kiss, Hermione and Harry turned away to give the couple some privacy. Hermione looked at Harry, expecting him to be upset, but instead he had a smile on his face. "You're not upset?" she asked.

"About Neville and Ginny?" he asked. He shook his head. "Nah; I adore Ginny but I don't think it would have worked out in the end. She and Neville are good for each other. I'm happy for them." She smiled and nodded in understanding. "How about you and Ron?" Harry asked. "How are things in that department?"

She shook her head. "Not going. We talked last night after you went to bed. We agreed that we're better off as friends."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really; we're just too different. Opposites may attract for a while but, I think, after some time we would have started to drive one another crazy. It's better we just nip it in the bud while we can before either one of us got hurt."

"Ron was okay with that?" he asked.

"It was his idea," she said, smiling at Harry's surprised expression. "I know; but he can be perceptive and thoughtful at times."

Harry chuckled at that. They stood in silence for a moment before both of them threw their arms around each other and held one another in a tight embrace. Both had tears streaming down their faces and were shaking but only held on tighter. "Is it really over?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking.

Harry nodded and pulled back to look at her, smiling. "Yeah, it is."

She returned his smile and wiped a few tears away from his face. "Now what?" she asked.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "I have no idea."

She chuckled and sniffed, looking at her watch. "Breakfast isn't for another thirty minutes. Want to take a walk?"

Harry nodded and linked his arm with hers as they walked out of the common room and around the castle. As they walked, they talked. "How do you feel, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry thought about it for a moment before answering. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I feel lighter; like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but I also feel like I should be relieved."

"But you're not…" Hermione said.

He nodded. "I- I don't feel anything. I just… I feel numb."

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "That's understandable, Harry. You've had so much weighing you down for as long as you could remember and, all of a sudden, all of it's gone. It's a lot to take in; I'd honestly be worried if you had a clear understanding of what you were feeling right now. The fact that you're numb is completely normal. Give it time. You'll either feel everything at once or begin to feel it all, piece by piece. It's a part of adjusting to everything that's happened and only after you begin to adjust, you'll begin to heal."

Harry smirked at her. "What book did you read that out of?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "My dad was in the military before he met my mum. When I was little, he used to tell me stories about the missions he and his mates would go on and how one of them would always end up in some sort of trouble. It wasn't until I got older that I realized just how serious those situations were. When I asked my dad how he coped with everything he had seen after he retired, he told me that it took him a long time to heal and, for a time, he had to see a therapist because it was so hard for him to adjust to civilian life. He used to struggle with nightmares a lot but eventually, time healed a lot of his wounds; just like it will heal yours and mine and everyone else's."

He gave her a small smile and squeezed her arm. "What are you going to do about your parents, anyway?"

She sighed. "First chance I get, I'm heading out to Australia to go get them and bring them home. I just hope they won't be angry with me for what I did."

"I'm sure they'll understand, Hermione," Harry reassured her.

"I hope you're right, Harry," she said. As they reached the main entrance, they spotted Kingsley and McGonagall talking by the entrance. The two adults waved them over and the young pair walked to the new Minister of Magic and Headmistress, respectively.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "I trust you slept well."

They both nodded. "Better than I've slept in a while," Hermione answered and Harry nodded in agreement.

Kingsley smiled at that. "I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to speak with you two about something, if you have a moment?"

Hermione and Harry glanced to each other before nodding. "You're more than welcome to my office, if you'd like, Minister," McGonagall said.

Kingsley shook his head. "That won't be necessary until later, Minerva; thank you, though." He looked back to Harry and Hermione. "I wanted to ask you two if you had thought about what you were going to do now that the war is over. You're more than welcome to return to Hogwarts and retake your seventh year; however, if you've had your fill of education, you can sit your NEWTs at the Ministry and I will be more than happy to offer you a position in any department of your choice. It's the least we can do for you after all that you've done for us and the world. This offer is also for Mr. Weasley, of course, but I will have to tell him this in due time as I see that he is not here."

Harry looked to Hermione and saw that she was biting her lip- a nervous habit she had- and looked back to Kingsley, speaking for the both of them. "Would you mind if we thought about your offer Kingsley? It's quite a lot to take in."

Kingsley smiled and nodded. "Of course. Let me know whenever you've made your decision. The offer is indefinite."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Harry said and Hermione nodded her thanks as well. McGonagall clapped her hands together and smiled. "Well, now that that's established, I believe breakfast has just been served. You are more than welcome to join your classmates in the dining hall if you'd like or, if you'd prefer somewhere a little more quiet, you may dine in the kitchens. After breakfast and Mr. Weasley has joined us, I'd like the three of you to meet me in my office. There is a lot that needs to be discussed."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said. "Thank you; both of you."

Kingsley and McGonagall nodded to the pair and wandered into the dining hall, leaving Harry and Hermione by the entrance. Hermione sighed and looked at Harry. "Want to eat in the kitchens?"

He nodded and they walked to the kitchens in a comfortable silence. The elves smiled at them when they arrived and fussed over getting them anything they wanted for breakfast. Harry knew that Hermione must have been beyond exhausted since she didn't even bother to try to talk the elves out of catering to her every whim.

They were halfway through breakfast when Ron walked into the kitchens. "G'morning," he yawned, sitting down next to Harry. An elf placed a plate of food in front of Ron with a glass of pumpkin juice next to it and immediately Ron perked up and began to eat. Harry was pleased that things didn't seem to be tense between Hermione and Ron; when he glanced at Hermione, he smiled when he saw her shoulders sag in relief at that fact as well.

"Are many people awake?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded then swallowed. "There's quite a few people up in the dining hall and a small amount of people are wandering the halls and grounds." He took another bite of eggs before speaking again, this time with his mouth full. "Did meifer Mmonamall or Minksey salk to you?"

Hermione grimaced and handed Ron a napkin while Harry bit back a laugh. "I'm sorry, was that English?"

Ron rolled his eyes and swallowed, using the napkin Hermione gave him to clean his face. "I said did either McGonagall or Kingsley talk to you?" They nodded. "Have you decided what you're going to do?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I can't think about that right now; I need to get my parents back. After that, _then_ I'll think about my future."

Ron nodded in understanding and looked to Harry who shrugged. "I have no damn clue what I'm going to do."

Ron started to laugh. "Neither do I." The trio burst into hysterical laughter, startling the elves and leaving the small creatures to question whether or not it had been a good idea to feed their guests so much food in one sitting.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Well, there's the first chapter. Hope you liked it!_**

 ** _Fair warning, there will be some time jumps in this story (only forward, no back and forth stuff) but I will put a little note at the beginning of each chapter so you guys can keep track of where we are in the story._**

 ** _A Pinterest board for this story will be posted soon so that you can see Facecasts of characters and other things that might pop up in the story later. Link is on my profile._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: So, now that FF finally got their shit together, I can reply to reviews again! Yay!**_

 ** _And, I got my final grades in today: I got all A's! (Fun fact: that's the first time that's happened EVER!) So, in honor of my grades coming in, you guys get a new chapter! Win-Win!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2:**_

 _May 1998_

Harry and Ron sat in the Wizengamot, wishing they could be anywhere else in that moment. The former wanted to just be alone with his thoughts while the latter simply wanted to return home and sleep; instead, they were stuck watching the trials of Death Eaters and Voldemort supporters who had been caught in the final battle. In that moment, Harry wished he had taken Hermione up on her offer to go to Australia with her. She was currently in Melbourne retrieving her parents and their memories; while that may have been a difficult trip, it would have been far better than sitting in a courtroom, bored and miserable.

Ron and Harry had been sitting in the courtroom since seven that morning; it was now half past noon. Yaxley, Greyback, Goyle Sr., and Crabbe Sr. had all been convicted. Next up: the Malfoys.

Harry watched as Narcissa, Lucius, and Draco were all brought into the courtroom, and took a deep breath, _severely_ wishing Hermione was here. She'd know what to do; she always knew how to handle situations like this.

Instead, Harry was stuck. He was going to speak on behalf of Narcissa Malfoy for saving his life in the Forbidden Forest, but he didn't want to stay after that. He and Malfoy may have never gotten along in school and they may have been on opposite sides of the war, but that didn't mean he wanted to watch someone he grew up with be convicted and sent to Azkaban. They were only kids, after all.

Once all three Malfoys were seated, Kingsley looked to Harry and nodded. As Harry began to make his way to the center of the Wizengamot, Kingsley spoke. "The first to be tried will be Narcissa Malfoy." Narcissa stood up and walked to the center of the room. Harry gave her a brief nod and he saw her eyes flash with something he couldn't quite place before she sat down. "Speaking on her behalf is Harry Potter," Kingsley continued. "Mr. Potter, you have the floor."

Harry took a deep breath before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, please bear with me; I know you're tired and I am too. I also know that you'd love nothing more than to convict those who have wronged us and be done with it. But that wouldn't be honest and right; and that's what makes us different from our predecessors. We refuse to be bought and we choose to do things the right way.

"Which is why I'm asking you to listen to me with an open mind when I say that Narcissa Malfoy does _not_ deserve to go to Azkaban. Everything she did, she did to protect her family; we can't fault her for that. And at the end of the day, she _lied_ to Lord Voldemort in order to give me one more chance to stop him and to save our world. And when she did that, the only thing she was thinking about was protecting her son and keeping her family safe. I can name several other women- and men- who did everything to protect their families; several of whom paid the ultimate price." Harry watched as several Wizengamot members shifted in their seats uncomfortably at Harry's mention of his parent's deaths. "We cannot fault her for doing what she could to protect her family. Just like we cannot fault each other for making poor decisions in times of struggle. Please, when deciding your verdict, take into account that this woman, right here, not only saved my life but _all_ of our lives. I know many of you would like to turn a blind eye but _that_ is not something that should or _can_ be ignored. Thank you."

He glanced back to Narcissa who silently and discreetly mouthed "Thank you." He gave her a discreet nod before returning to his seat. He zoned in and out of the rest of the Malfoys trial. By the time it was finished, he tuned back in to hear the final verdicts: Narcissa would be on house arrest for six months, Draco would receive Azkaban for six months then house arrest for six months after that, and Lucius would receive a year's sentence in Azkaban and some form of community service afterwards (that had yet to be decided). All in all, a slap on the wrist for the Malfoys but society would be satisfied that they received _some_ form of punishment.

As for Harry, he didn't care anymore. He was exhausted and just wanted to go home. Fortunately, Kingsley called an end to the trials for the day and released everyone. There would be more trials tomorrow, but Kingsley had promised that they only needed to be at one of the trial days not _all_ of them, so both Harry and Ron had the rest of the week off before starting Auror training on Monday.

As they left the courtroom, Ron looked at Harry. "How do you think Hermione's doing?"

Harry shrugged. "Hopefully she's had a more productive day than we've had."

Ron laughed and clapped Harry on the back as they walked out of the Ministry and to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.

* * *

Hermione had, indeed, had quite the successful day; but it wasn't over yet. As she waited for her parents to wake up with their memories fully restored, she braced herself for their reactions. She knew her parents; they were rational and didn't get angry quickly. Still, she worried about their reactions and hoped they'd understand.

Josh Granger was the first to wake up. His eyes fluttered open as he took in his surroundings. He looked around confused for a moment before his eyes landed on his daughter. "Hermione?" he said.

She gave him a small smile. "Hi, Daddy."

* * *

Two hours later, both Grangers were awake and brought up to date on everything they had missed during the last year. When Hermione finished her story, she sat across from them, bracing herself for their reactions. They would sit in a tense silence for what felt like hours but was really only minutes.

Finally, her mother spoke, but it was not the reaction Hermione expected. "Oh, Hermione," Liz Granger said.

Hermione looked up and saw her mother's eyes filling with tears. Before she had a chance to react, Liz moved next to her daughter and pulled her into a tight hug. The moment she felt her mother's arms around her again, Hermione broke down into tears, returning her mother's hug. "I'm so sorry," she said, through her tears. "I didn't want to do it but I couldn't bear the idea of you getting hurt. I'm sorry."

"Shh," Liz said. "I forgive you, love; we both do," she said, looking to her husband.

He nodded and joined his wife and daughter on the sofa and placed his hand on Hermione's back. Hermione looked up to her father who gave her a small reassuring smile. That was all she needed to remove herself from her mother's arms and into her father's. When she began to apologize again, Josh shushed her and brushed a curl behind her ear. "Don't apologize, Hermione. I can't pretend I'm not upset by your choice but I understand that you thought you were doing the right thing. Lord knows I've been in plenty a tight situation and had to make a difficult call; you did what you thought was right. I can't fault you for that; especially since I'm the one you most likely got it from."

Liz snorted. "Well she most certainly did _not_ get it from me."

Josh chuckled and squeezed Hermione close. "We love you, Hermione; and we'll work past this. Because that's what family does."

Hermione smiled and reached for her mother's hand. "I missed you guys."

Liz smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand. "Well, we have the rest of our lives to make up for the time that we've lost. Why don't we make up for it right now? You hungry?" Hermione nodded. "Great; there's a great little restaurant just down the way from here. We can grab dinner and talk more, okay?"

Hermione nodded and followed her parents out of their flat.

* * *

Hermione tossed and turned all night but just couldn't fall asleep. Even with the familiar sound of Crookshanks purring at her feet (she had left him with her parents after she wiped their memories), she couldn't shut her mind off. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she got out of bed and quietly walked to her parent's room.

She quietly opened the door and walked over to her mother's side of the bed. She hadn't slept with her parents since she was very little but, after missing them for a whole year, she didn't care if it seemed childish; she wanted her mum. She tapped her mother on her shoulder and Liz woke up, surprised to find Hermione in her room. "Can I sleep here tonight?" Hermione whispered.

Liz smiled and nodded, moving the covers so that Hermione could get underneath. Once Hermione was settled in the bed, Liz wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Love you, sweetheart," she said.

"Love you, mum," Hermione said, fighting tears. Within minutes, Hermione fell asleep feeling safe, loved, and protected for the first time in months.

* * *

 _ **Facecasts for Liz and Josh Granger are on Pinterest.**_

 ** _Please review!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I stayed home sick today. Blegh! But I'm feeling better now! Yay!**_ _ **Anyway, thank you guys for all the love on this story. It means a lot that you like it so much!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

 **One Month Later**

 _June 1998_

"Mum?" Hermione said, walking into the drawing room.

Liz looked up from her book. "Yes, dear?"

"Can I talk to you about something?"

Liz put her book down and curled her legs under her. "Of course, love." She patted the seat next to her. "What's going on?"

The Grangers had returned to London about a week after Hermione had returned their memories to them. Picking their practice back up was easy and, within weeks, life returned to normal for the Grangers. Hermione, grateful to have her parents back, chose to continue living at home for the time being. After being on the run for a year, she wasn't in any rush to live on her own quite yet; for now, she was happy living in her childhood home with her parents just down the hall.

Hermione sat next to her mother and played with the hem of her shirt. Liz brushed some curls behind her ear and waited as Hermione found the words she needed. Hermione took a deep breath before speaking. "How would you feel if I didn't return to school?" she asked, not looking her mother in the eye.

Liz thought for a moment before responding. "I'd be okay with it. I'd like to know what you're going to do instead, though."

Hermione looked up to her mother and saw only kindness in her eyes. Feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders, Hermione told her mother what had been on her mind. "Well, I was thinking of taking my NEWTs at the Ministry then apply for a position at St. Mungo's."

"That's the hospital right?" Liz asked. Hermione nodded. "You never mentioned that you were interested in being a doctor."

"Healer," Hermione corrected, "and, it wasn't something that really interested me until recently. I'd like to be able to help people in a way that doesn't involve the Ministry and St. Mungo's is just that. I can expand my knowledge of potions by working there and it'd be something I know I'd be good at."

Liz smiled and squeezed Hermione's hand. "I think it sounds like a great idea, love. I say go for it."

Hermione's eyes lit up at that. "Really?"

Liz nodded. "Really."

Hermione grinned and hugged her mother. "Thank you, mum."

"You're welcome, Hermione," Liz said. She pulled back and looked at her daughter. "Have you brought this up to your father yet?"

"Brought what up to your father?" Josh said, walking into the drawing room.

Hermione glanced at her mother, who nodded, before looking back to her father. "Daddy, don't be angry, but I'm not going back to school in September."

He furrowed his brows. "If you're not going back to school, what are you going to do instead? You need to do something, Hermione."

She nodded. "I know; I'm going to take my NEWTs at the Ministry and then apply for a job at St. Mungo's. It's the hospital in wizard London."

Josh shared a look with his wife before looking back to his daughter. He grinned. "I think that sounds like a great idea. You'll be a fantastic doctor."

"Healer," Liz corrected him while Hermione smiled and jumped off the couch and into her father's open arms. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head while Liz watched, smiling.

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later_

"Cheers!" Ron said, raising his glass. "To St. Mungo's newest and _youngest_ Healer!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and raised her glass in return as everyone else toasted to her new job.

"Did you have to mention the young part?" Hermione asked. "It's already awkward since everyone else who works there is twice my age!"

"And you're twice as smart as all of them put together!" a slightly inebriated Ginny exclaimed, causing Hermione to roll her eyes once more. They had been at the Leaky Cauldron for over an hour, drinking and laughing and talking about what their plans were now that the war was over. Out of all of them, Hermione was the most sober, only because she started training at St. Mungo's the next day.

"It doesn't-" Hermione began to argue with Ginny but decided better against it, since arguing with a drunk Ginny was like arguing with a toddler (although Ginny had better comebacks). Instead, she turned her attention to Harry and Ron and smiled. "Cheers," she said, raising her glass again. "To the youngest pair of Aurors the Ministry has seen in years!" Everyone drank to that and Tom, the landlord, even gave the pair a thumbs up.

"I still can't believe you're going back to school, Neville," Ron said, shaking his head. "I mean, Ginny, I understand, since Mum didn't really give you a choice, but really Nev? You could do anything and you choose _school_?!"

Neville laughed. "Unlike you three, I'd prefer to finish up my education before I decide on what to do next. I'm not quite ready to jump into the working world just yet."

Ginny shrugged. "Gwenog's holding a slot for me so I can jump right into training with the Harpies after graduation. If I have to go through one more year of school to get onto my dream team, I think it's worth it."

Ron shook his head. "I still can't believe _the_ Gwenog Jones is holding a slot for you on the team!"

Ginny shrugged and smiled. "What can I say? The woman knows talent when she sees it."

Harry and Neville busted out laughing while Ron just narrowed his eyes at his sister. Hermione smirked and shook her head. "And I think that's my cue to leave," she said, standing up.

"Awe, 'Mione! Don't go! Come; have another drink with us!" Ron said, signalling Tom for another round. Hermione furrowed her brows at that. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Ron? You don't want to drink too much or you'll be incredibly hungover in the morning."

Ron waved her off and smiled at the next round Tom brought over. "Don't worry about me, Hermione. I'm fine!"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever you say, Ron," she said. She hugged the four goodbye, hugging Harry the longest so she could whisper in his ear. "Don't let him do something stupid; you _do_ have work tomorrow, after all."

Harry chuckled and nodded, pulling out of the hug. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

Hermione smirked and walked away from the table towards the bar. She placed a few Galleons on the bar and slid them over to Tom. "Cut them off after this round, will you, Tom?"

He smiled and pocketed the Galleons. "Will do. Have a good night, Hermione."

"You too, Tom," she smiled, before flooing out of the pub and back home.

* * *

 _She heard laughing- no, cackling. Someone was cackling above her. It took her a second to realize who the maniacal laughter belonged to: Bellatrix Lestrange._

" _Poor little mudblood," she said. "All alone in the world. Your precious Potty can't save you now. No one can."_

 _She felt stabbing pain all through her body and began to scream. She screamed and screamed but the only thing she heard was Bellatrix's laughter. The laughter would be the last thing she would hear before she blacked out…_

Hermione sat up in bed, sweating and her heart pounding. It took her a minute to process where she was: in her bedroom in her parent's house. Crookshanks was sleeping on the bookshelf in the corner and a stream of moonlight from the window was the only light in the room. When her heart began to calm, she lied back down on her bed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

That was the third nightmare this week!

The first night, she had woke screaming. Her parents came running into her room and immediately she had broken down into tears in her mother's arms, so upset, she hadn't been able to explain what her nightmare had been about. Not that she'd want to tell them that she had dreamed she had watched their deaths. Not exactly a family friendly conversation.

After that first night, Hermione made a point to put a silencing charm on her room so she wouldn't disturb her parents with her nightmares. She knew they tried to understand what she went through during the war (her father more so than her mother) but there were just some things that sympathy just didn't reach. Surviving a war- not to mention torture- was one of them.

She sat up again and went digging through her bedside drawer to find one of the vials of Draught of Peace she kept on hand for times like this. Being a trainee at the hospital allowed access to particular potions that, with permission from the Dean of the hospital, could be given to Healers for their own personal uses (like a prescription, of sorts). After explaining to the Dean that she was having trouble sleeping, he allowed her to take a small amount of Draught of Peace and Dreamless Sleep vials for a short period of time to help her sleep.

Understanding full well that, if not monitored carefully, she could become addicted to either one of the potions, Hermione only took small dose of them when she knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep without it; like tonight.

Immediately, Hermione began to feel calmer after taking the potion and put the rest back in her drawer before closing her eyes and falling back asleep.

* * *

 _ **P.S. I do apologize for the shortness of the chapters. They appear much longer when I'm writing them. As the story continues they should get longer.**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hi kids! I think I already posted a chapter this week but I don't remember... eh, who cares! Bit of a time jump here, just an FYI. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

 _October 1998_

"And then Ron sneezed on him, causing him to fall backwards into a cauldron and get _stuck_ in the cauldron!" Harry explained, while Hermione laughed. "Needless to say, that was one of the easier missions we've had so far," Harry finished.

Hermione wiped away a tear and shook her head. "Well, you can be sure you'll never be bored in the Aurors." She began to giggle again. "Ron _sneezed_ on him?!"

Harry laughed and nodded. "Believe me, Dolohov was just as disgusted as I was."

Hermione smirked at that. "Well, it serves him right, if you ask me." Harry nodded in agreement.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione spoke again. "Have you thought about what you're going to do with this place now that all the dark artefacts are gone?" she asked.

Harry looked around the drawing room and sighed. Number 12 Grimmauld Place had been a sort of-home for him ever since the end of the war but something about it didn't feel right. There was too much history there, and not all of it good. It was too big, too empty, and too sad. In all honesty, Harry hated living there; but he had nowhere else to go.

He sighed. "I think I'm going to give it over to the Ministry. Maybe talk to Kingsley about turning it into a orphanage. But I want it to be a place where the orphans are _cared_ for and loved. I don't want more kids to have to go through what I went through."

"And they shouldn't have to," Hermione finished for him. She put her hand on his and squeezed. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Harry. But where are you going to go?"

He shrugged. "I'll probably rent a flat out in Diagon Alley or something. Merlin knows I have more than enough money from what both Sirius and my parents left me to be able to pay for it."

"And Kreacher?" she asked.

He smiled at her concern for the little elf. "I'll give him the choice of coming with me, staying here and working with the orphanage, or going to Hogwarts full time."

"What do you think he'll choose?" she asked.

Harry thought about that. "Something tells me he'll want to stay here but we'll see. That little elf is full of surprises."

She chuckled at that and nodded. Kreacher was still wary around her but after Harry had told him to be nice to Hermione, he had made an effort to be polite to her and not sneer or call her nasty names when her back was turned. She was proud of the little elf, considering how badly he had treated her when they first met.

"You ready?" Harry asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was just after six. She nodded and stood. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Harry stood and took her hand in his before apparating them out of the house and onto the quiet streets of Godric's Hollow. Voices of small children could be heard around the village and shopkeepers and patrons wandered around and spoke to each other happily. Hermione smiled at the life that seemed to have developed over the last few months since the end of the war.

The Ministry had come in and cleaned up a lot of the damage that had been done during the Christmas Eve attack with Nagini. Bathilda Bagshot had been laid to rest, her house cleaned and permanently closed, while the rest of the village was reopened to the public and many wizards and their families had come to live there, allowing the economy to pick back up slowly but surely. The village still had a way's to go but it had come quite a long way since Harry and Hermione had last seen it in December.

With their arms linked, Harry and Hermione walked to the small cemetery where James and Lily were buried. Tonight was Halloween and seventeen years since the Potters had been murdered. Harry had decided that he was going to start making an annual trip to visit his parents every Halloween; when he brought it up to Hermione, she had volunteered to go with him and he accepted wholeheartedly. He didn't say it out loud but Hermione knew he'd prefer to have someone there with him as he visited his parents. It made the trip a little easier.

"Hey mum," he said. "Hey dad. You remember Hermione," he gestured to her. She smiled and gave the tombstones a small wave. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

"They would have wanted you to call them James and Lily," he said.

She chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

He shrugged. "Man's intuition."

She laughed a little louder this time, causing a small smile to grow on Harry's lips. He turned back to the headstones and sat down, Hermione sitting with him, as he began to tell them about the war and how Voldemort was finally gone for good. They spent almost an hour and a half in the cemetery; Harry talked, Hermione listened, and they both imagined that the ghosts of James and Lily could hear Harry's story.

By the time the sun had begun to set, Harry had finished his story. He stood up and dusted his trousers off while Hermione conjured up a bouquet of flowers to rest on the Potter's graves. Then, she stood up next to Harry and linked her arm with his. "They'd be so proud of you, Harry," she said. "I'm sure that, wherever they are, James, Sirius, and Remus are cheering while Lily looks on proud."

"And Pettigrew?" Harry asked, his voice curious.

Hermione shrugged. "Whose to say where he is. I like to think he and your parents and Sirius and Remus and everyone else he wronged made peace with each other but we'll never know, I suppose."

Harry chuckled. "What?" Hermione asked.

"You're beginning to sound like Luna," he smirked.

She thought about it for a moment then shrugged. "I suppose it did sound a little Luna-ish."

He laughed and, together, they walked out of the cemetery and down the streets of Godric's Hollow. They talked as they walked until they reached Potter Cottage in the village. They stopped and looked at it for a minute before Harry sighed. "What are you thinking?" Hermione asked.

"I just… I wish they were here," he said, quietly. Hermione slid her hand down Harry's arm and linked her fingers with his. She didn't have any words of wisdom for him so, instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her free hand around his arm in a gesture of support. He smiled at that and rested his head against hers.

They stood, staring at the cottage, until a couple and their two young children walked by. The pair smiled at the family then looked back to each other. "You ready to go?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded and they apparated out of Godric's Hollow, leaving the abandoned and broken cottage behind.

* * *

 _November 1998_

"I have nightmares. Horrible nightmares where I have to relive some of the worst moments of the war," Hermione said.

Melody nodded and wrote a note down on her parchment. "What moments in particular?" she asked. Hermione took a deep breath before responding.

Her nightmares were getting worse and the potions weren't helping as much anymore. She was half tempted to keep taking them but knew how dangerous it could become if she kept increasing her dosages. So, instead, she looked for an alternative and found Healer Melody Laster in Dorset, a halfblood witch who studied human psychology, among other things, at Oxford University before returning to the Wizarding World to start her own business as a Mind Healer (or therapist, in the muggle world). She went into hiding during the war but kept her practice going for her closest clients who were desperate for answers in a time of turmoil. Hermione was so relieved when she found Melody that she nearly broke down into tears. Now, as she sat in Melody's office, she tried to resist that urge.

"I was tortured during the war. Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus curse on me several times and carved the word _mudblood_ into my arm to remind me what I was. To remind me who I am." She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and took a shaky breath to hold them back. "A- after she died, the word vanished; but I can still feel her knife in my arm. I can still hear her cackling in the distance and I can still see her standing above me, smiling with glee as I screamed in pain, _begging_ her to stop. I begged and pleaded and prayed to any god that would listen to make the pain stop. But by the time it did, I couldn't tell the difference anymore." She wiped away a stray tear. "I relive that one a lot."

Melody nodded, noticing the tears that Hermione was fighting. "What else?" she pushed.

Hermione sniffed. "The final battle. The faces; all I see are the faces. My friends, classmates, professors… they're all dead. I see Hagrid carrying Harry's limp body back to the castle, Lavender Brown's mutilated body after being killed by Greyback, Fred, little Colin Creevy-" she choked on Colin's name and clenched her hand into a fist. "He was so young. We all were- are. It's- it's not _fair_."

"Have you cried, Hermione?" Melody asked.

Hermione looked at her and furrowed her brows. "C-cried?" Melody nodded and Hermione thought for a moment. "N-no, I haven't. I mean, I did when I got my parents back but that was more a cry of relief, really. Otherwise, no."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I- I don't need to; I don't deserve to. I didn't lose nearly as much as everyone else did. My best friend lost his brother, my godson is an orphan while his grandmother lost her husband, her daughter, _and_ her son-in-law within months of each other; my other best friend _died_ and then came back from the dead." She swallowed and shook her head. "I got my parents back, I survived the war, which is more than others can say. I don't have a reason to cry."

Melody's lips pursed and she nodded, writing something down on her parchment before setting it aside and clasping her fingers together in her lap. "Hermione, I want to deviate away from your nightmares for a moment and, instead, discuss what you just told me."

Hermione nodded.

"You just told me that you don't feel that you deserve to cry because you didn't lose as much in the war compared to others but from, what I gather, you have just as much reason to cry, if not _more_ reason. You were tortured, you lived in a tent in the middle of nowhere for months on end, barely surviving on what food you could find, you fought in a war, you watched people you knew _die_ right in front of you; I'm honestly surprised you _haven't_ cried yet." At Hermione's confused expression, Melody explained. "Crying is a release of tension and stress. I think part of the reason you're having these nightmares, along with the slight PTSD you seem to be experiencing, is you haven't released the tension you've had in your system for Merlin knows how long. From what you've told me, you seem to be the rock for all of your friends, right?" Hermione nodded. "While that's an admirable trait, Hermione, I think you've taken that on like a duty rather than just being a helping hand. You're so used to being the strong one out of your group of friends that allowing yourself a moment of weakness just isn't something you've even considered doing. And I think that's your problem."

"Because I don't allow myself to be anything but strong?" Hermione summed up.

Melody nodded. "Yes; being strong is good but it's okay to not be too. You don't always have to be everyone's support system. And that's not to say that crying makes you weak. I'm a firm believer in the opposite, actually; I think that crying is an incredibly strong thing to do because you're allowing yourself to just let go, which is an incredible feeling, once you do."

Hermione looked down at her hands and shrugged. "I'm not sure I know _how_ to be anything but strong anymore…"

"Then maybe you should find someone you feel comfortable letting go with. If you can't cry, write out what you're feeling or what you _wish_ you were feeling. Once you've done that, grab a friend, go to the middle of nowhere and burn it. Even if you don't cry, burning that note will help you relax."

"What's the friend supposed to do while I burn it?" she asked.

Melody chuckled. "Moral support, I suppose. I just think it's always good to have a friend with you whenever you're doing something highly emotional. Just in case you need a hug or something." Hermione smiled at that a little. "Don't be afriad to cry, Hermione," Melody said as their session came to a close. "It may help you more than you know."

* * *

 **P.S. Facecast for Melody Laster is on the WCN Pinterest board.**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I'm turning 21 on the 11th! *squeals in excitement* Happy almost birthday to me!**_

 _ **Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, guys. They mean a lot to me!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

 _November 1998_

Hermione laughed as she walked into Harry's flat. "What?" he asked.

She bit back another laugh as she inspected the place. "Well, it's just... it's such a bachelor pad!" she exclaimed.

Harry looked around his flat and noticed that she was looking at the bare walls and undecorated drawing room. "Well, what do you expect? I'm a bachelor!"

"That doesn't mean you have to live like one!" she said, walking further into the room. "It's a nice room, Harry, but it's also kind of boring."

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay; what would have me do?"

"Hmm." She looked to the bare walls and the empty window. "We could put some nice curtains on the window and decorate the walls with pictures and maybe a few paintings;" she looked to the couch and smirked, "we could grab some nice throw pillows for the couch-"

"No;" Harry said, "no way. I'll let you decorate my flat any way you want but there will be _no_ throw pillows in this household!"

Hermione bit back a laugh. "Why?"

"They're girly and useless and I will not be having them here!"

"I can get you some manly throw pillows, Harry. I'll even decorate them with Viktor Krum's face so you can feel _extra manly_."

Harry gave her a disgusted look. "Okay, first off, that's weird and gross. Secondly, there's no such thing as a 'manly throw pillow.' And third, no."

"Ugh; fine, you killjoy. No throw pillows."

Harry dropped his shoulders in relief. "Thank you."

She smiled and wandered into the kitchen. "Well this is _much_ better than your drawing room!" She exclaimed as she walked into the fully stocked and supplied kitchen. Harry chuckled and just shook his head at her critiques. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "Dare I ask how your bedroom looks?"

He laughed. "Bare walls, bare windows, _no_ throw pillows; you'll happy to know, however, that I have matching towels in the bathroom!"

She rolled her eyes at him but a small smile was growing at the corner of her lips. "You're killing me here, Potter. Give me a couple weeks and, I promise you, once I'm done with this place, it'll look much less bachelor pad-y."

"Merlin help us all," Harry muttered.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing!" he grinned. She raised an eyebrow but he merely shrugged and the subject was dropped. "So how are your sessions with Healer Laster going?" he asked, leading her back to the drawing room and away from his cutlery.

She shrugged as she sat down on the couch. "They're going well; she has a lot of insight and has been really helpful with coping with everything."

"That's good," Harry replied.

She gave him a small smile. "Have you thought anymore about my suggestion to see her?"

He nodded. "I have; I think I might take you up on it."

"Really? The last time we talked about it, you seemed really averse to the idea."

He shrugged. "I know but…" he hesitated before speaking, "it couldn't necessarily hurt just to talk to her. You know, get some insight as to what's next for me."

She furrowed her brows. "I thought you already decided what was next for you? I thought you were happy with the Aurors?"

He sighed. "I thought that's where I would want to be but, you know, I just don't think that's where I belong. I've spent most of my life fighting off a dark wizard. I'm kind of done with that sort of thing, to be honest."

"So what would you do, instead?"

He shrugged. "That's what I want to talk to Healer Laster about; I don't know _what_ I want to do instead."

"Well, you haven't quit yet, have you?"

He shook his head. "I won't quit until I know what's coming next for me. I may not be happy with my job but at least it keeps me busy."

Hermione pursed her lips but nodded anyway. "I suppose that's the best course of action for now."

Harry cocked his head to the side and brushed his fingers along her arm. "Are you okay?"

She sighed. "I'm- I'm hanging in there." She paused and Harry waited as she thought through what she was going to say. "It's... it's hard; adjusting, that is. I don't know, something about not having to look over my shoulder every few minutes is… odd. I should be relieved- and I am- but I'm also just… I feel-"

"Lost," Harry finished. "Like a piece of driftwood floating in the ocean. Or a- a puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit. You know where you belong; you just don't feel quite right being there."

She looked to him and nodded. "Yes. Yes, that's exactly it."

He nodded in understanding. "It's like you said the morning after the battle; I'd be worried if you _didn't_ feel like that."

She grimaced. "I know; that doesn't mean I _like_ feeling like this."

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "We went through a _war_ , Hermione. That's not something you can just wake up and heal from as if nothing happened. It's gonna take a lot of time to recover from everything." She nodded in agreement. "You know what might be good is to have a nice long cry. That always makes me feel better."

Hermione laughed. "That's exactly what Melody suggested!"

Harry laughed and shrugged. "Hey, great minds think alike." Hermione rolled her eyes and pinched him. "Ow!" he exclaimed.

She smirked and sat up running her fingers through her hair. "Thanks, Harry."

"Anytime," he smiled.

* * *

 _November 1998_

"So, Ron, do we get to know more about this mystery girl that you've been hiding?" Hermione asked, stealing a chip off of Harry's plate. Harry frowned at her but she simply shrugged in response.

Back in July, Ron met a girl; he kept her existence a secret simply because he didn't want to draw attention to their developing relationship just yet. The only reason why his best friends and sister knew was because Ginny caught him smiling at a letter he was reading. Ginny stole the letter out of her brother's grip and taunted him, trying to get out of him who he was corresponding with (the letters were charmed so only the intended reader could see what they said) but Ron simply said it was a girl he knew and that was it. Ginny attempted to see if Harry or Hermione knew anything about this mystery girl but they were just as dumbfounded as she was. Despite Ginny (and Harry and Hermione's) constant questions about her, Ron refused to give up much information other than very vague answers; like his next one.

Ron swallowed his food and shrugged. "Things are going well between us."

Ginny, who had come home for the holidays early, glanced at Hermione then back to her brother and gestured with her hands for him to continue but Ron just stared at her. She threw her hands into the air, exasperated. "That's all we get to know? 'It's going well?'"

"Yep," Ron replied.

"Can you give us _anything_ else other than that? You know: who she is, did she go to Hogwarts, is she _nice_? I'm grasping at straws here."

Ron laughed. "Yes, she's nice. That better?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stole a chip off his plate while Ginny snickered. "No; and just for that, I'm going to start eating off _your_ plate full time just so you finally know how it feels!" she exclaimed. Harry laughed at Ron's baffled expression and patted him on the shoulder. "To be fair, mate, you do eat off our plates a lot."

Ron looked at Harry confused. "Well, if you're not going to eat what's on your plate, I might as well eat it! Otherwise it'll just go to waste!"

"When have you ever seen me _not_ eat everything off my plate?" Harry asked, amused.

"Well- there was- no, wait, that was Neville…"

Harry bust out into more laughter and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Boys," she muttered.

Ginny nodded in agreement then said "Back to the matter at hand! If you're not going to tell us anything about this mystery girl, are you at least going to introduce her to us, _eventually_? You know mum will kill you if you never bring this girl home"

Ron, frowning as Hermione took another chip off his plate, nodded. "I hope so; I really like her and I think you will too. But it will be a while before that happens."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"Well, for one thing, you three are the only ones who know I'm even seeing someone; secondly, we've only _just_ started seeing each other. I don't want to introduce her then something go wrong and have us break up. It'd be awkward and frankly, I don't want to listen to mum's nagging about why it didn't work out or whatever. We just kind of want to spend our time with only each other for now; if it goes where I hope it goes, _then_ we'll see about introducing her to you guys and the family but right now, I'm satisfied keeping her to myself."

"Okay; that was _way_ too mature. Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

Hermione and Harry burst into hysterical laughter as Ron looked at his sister offended. "I'm mature!"

She scoffed. "Yeah, for a twelve year old!"

"Rude!" Ron exclaimed, throwing a chip at his sister. She laughed and threw another one at her brother but before Ron could retaliate, Hermione grabbed both his and Ginny's hands and pinned them to the table.

"We are in a _restaurant_!" she exclaimed, biting back her laughter. "Try to show a little decorum, will you?"

"She started it!" Ron argued.

Ginny snorted and took a swig of her drink. "Yeah, pinning the blame on the younger sibling; _so_ mature."

"Smartarse," Ron muttered.

"Prat," Ginny said, loudly.

"Ugh!" Hermione groaned, burying her face in her hands, causing Harry to laugh.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: So, I just realized I am WAY farther ahead in writing this story than where I thought I was... and I still have no idea where or when it's going to end... which means YOU get another update! Woo!**_

 ** _Happy Christmas in June!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

 _December 1998_

" _I still look over my shoulder every day. I still wake up sometimes, terrified that Voldemort is still out there; still trying to kill my best friend. Everytime I see curly dark hair, I panic for a second, thinking it's Bellatrix. I can still feel the way her knife carved 'Mudblood' into my arm. I can still hear her voice in my ear telling me how worthless I am._ " Hermione took a deep breath to steady her rapid heartbeat. She glanced at Melody who nodded in encouragement. Hermione looked back to the parchment and continued. " _I still feel like an outsider; in both the wizard and the muggle worlds. I hate the way that everyone looks at me in the streets; like I'm some sort of hero who needs to be marveled at. I just want to feel normal again. I'm tired of feeling numb and lost. I just want to_ _ **feel**_ _again; to be myself again._ " Hermione sniffed and wiped away a stray tear that fell down her face. "That was all I was able to write," she told Melody.

Melody nodded. "Thank you for sharing that with me. How do you feel now that you've written it out?"

Hermione nodded. "A little better, actually."

Melody smiled. "I knew you would. Is that the only copy you have?"

Hermione shook her head. "I made a second copy to burn."

Melody nodded. "Good; would you mind if I kept that copy, then?" she gestured to the parchment Hermione was holding. "Just to keep track of your progress." At Hermione's confused expression, she explained what she meant. "If you're willing to continue our sessions, I'd like to keep that piece of parchment right there to keep track of how far you've progressed from this moment. Already, I've seen quite a bit of progress in you; in just one month, you've become more open when talking about the war and your nightmares. Imagine where we could be in a year." She gave Hermione a reassuring smile. "Would you be willing to continue to work with me? I can help you heal, Hermione; but only if you're willing to accept my help _and_ you have to be willing to help yourself."

Something about Melody's smile told Hermione everything she needed to know; she could trust this woman. With her help, she could heal and move on from the war. She folded up the parchment and handed it to Melody, smiling. "I'm willing."

Melody smiled and took the parchment from Hermione and stuck it in her file. "Excellent; now, tell me, how is work going?"

* * *

"You ready?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded and watched as Harry waved his wand and a fire appeared in the small pit they made. Hermione had chosen to return to the Forest of Dean to burn her parchment. "It just feels right," she had explained to Harry. "So much happened during our time there; it seems like the right place to do this."

He had agreed with her logic and offered to go with her; she agreed wholeheartedly and now, as they stood in the middle of the Forest of Dean, she was glad she had brought Harry along. He wouldn't question her decision to do this; if anything, he'd understand probably better than anyone else would.

She took a deep breath, opened up the parchment, and dropped it into the fire. Immediately, the parchment caught aflame and began to curl and fall apart as it burned. As Hermione watched it burn, she could feel herself become lighter; as if a weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She felt she could breathe a little easier; and bit by bit, she could feel herself coming apart.

Harry wrapped a supportive arm around his best friend and kissed her temple. That small gesture was all she needed to let her wall down. She wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face into his shoulder, and began to cry. He held her close as she sobbed and released all the pain and tension she had been feeling for months; probably even years. She held onto him for dear life, fearing if she let go, she wouldn't be able to hold her own. Harry, seeming to understand this, held her tighter and waited until the last of the parchment burned up before apparating them out of the forest and back to his flat.

Hermione, who had calmed some, let Harry lead her to his sofa where the pulled her close again and let her continue to cry. He summoned a Kleenex box from the guest loo and gave a tissue to her to help wipe her eyes. They sat in silence as she tried to calm herself down but still had tears slipping through. When she could finally form a coherent sentence, she said "I'm sorry, Harry."

"Shh," he said, hugging her. "Don't be sorry, Hermione. You're allowed to cry."

She sniffed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

 _December 1998_

Christmas Eve.

Hermione would be spending the evening at the Burrow while her parents went to dinner with some family friends. It had been a week since Hermione and Harry went to the Forest of Dean to burn her note. They hadn't spoken of it since but they both knew that, after that day, she was better and that she would be okay. They all would be, someday.

Currently, Neville and Ginny were sitting and discussing the "incompetent new Defense professor" with Harry and Ron while George, Bill, and Charlie were discussing a new product that George wanted to sell at the shop.

George hadn't been doing too well after the loss of his twin but after he and Angelina Johnson reconnected, he seemed to be smiling more often which, to everyone, was a good sign.

Hermione and Fleur were in the middle of the drawing room playing with Teddy. Fleur was just over four months pregnant with her and Bill's first child (the baby was due in late May) and was barely showing. They had made the announcement a few weeks ago and Molly would _not_ stop fussing over Fleur. "You're giving me my first grandchild," Molly had said. "Please, let me help out whenever and wherever I can!" Although it was clear Fleur found Molly's overbearing nature a bit annoying, she did find it nice to have a motherly figure to rely on; especially since her own mother still lived in France with her younger sister.

Andromeda Tonks and Percy were discussing the changes at the ministry that Kingsley was making while Arthur and Molly cooked dinner in the kitchen. Although the Burrow was still noisy and full of laughter, there was still a solemn feeling around the house with Fred gone. She felt a little guilty for feeling so much lighter and better now while her second family mourned the loss of a loved one; but she also knew she had nothing to feel guilty about. It became a small internal battle she was having with herself. She'd have to talk to Melody about that during their next session.

Molly walked in and announced dinner was ready, and everyone filed into the dining room to eat. After all their plates were filled with food and they began to eat, Arthur stood up, holding his glass. "I would like to make a toast to- to great family, and great friends. And I'd like to also toast those who could not be here with us tonight. May they always stay in our hearts and memories. Happy Christmas, everyone."

"Happy Christmas," everyone replied, toasting their glasses together. Little Teddy, trying to copy everyone else, picked up his fork and tried to toast it next to Harry's glass but ended up throwing it right at George. Instead of hitting George, however, it landed right in his lasagna and splashed George with some tomato sauce. "Argh!" George exclaimed. He wiped his face off with his napkin but when he looked at the culprit, little Teddy burst into hysterical laughter, his normally black hair turning bright red.

Everyone else at the table watched in fascination as his hair changed between red and black. A few glanced to Andromeda and saw a smile begin to grow on her face. "Looks like he's got much more Dora in him than Remus," she said. Harry bust out laughing at that and, soon enough, everyone at the table was laughing right along with the little tyke. By the end of the meal, Teddy's hair was a mix of red, black, and brown (like Hermione's). On anyone else, it would've looked very, _very_ odd but on Teddy, it just looked adorable. And by the way everyone was cooing over him, the little tyke knew it too.

* * *

Christmas Day in the Granger household was a happy affair. Spending last Christmas without her parents had made her realize that she never wanted to do that again. So, with a light heart, and a big smile, she spent the day with her parents, unwrapping presents and making Liz Granger's famous apple pie while her father played Christmas tunes around the house and sang them loudly and off-key.

She had given her mother several books on gardening as well as some exotic plant seeds to plant in her garden in the spring (Hermione admitted they might have to use magic to help them survive but Liz didn't object to the idea) while she gave her father a new watch and a book on Shakespeare insults. He laughed at that and began to pick which ones he would throw at a certain doctor in the office building that he didn't like. Liz gave her husband "the look" and he claimed he was joking but the wink he gave Hermione when Liz turned her back said otherwise.

Hermione had _also_ received a watch from her parents as well as another surprise she couldn't believe she was seeing: a check for £750,000. "What- I- mum, dad, I can't accept this; it's too much!"

"No, it's not," Josh said, shaking his head. "When I found out your mother was pregnant, I made an investment to help out with your future University endeavors. Obviously, that's not necessary anymore, so I've decided to just give it to you as a gift. Use it for whatever you want: a flat, library, research for your work, whatever your heart desires. Just promise me that you'll use it wisely."

Hermione nodded, furiously. "I will, dad; I promise, I will." She hugged both of her parents tightly. "Thank you."

"Of course, love," Liz smiled, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "Just don't go buying a motorbike or anything like that, okay?"

Hermione laughed and nodded. "Agreed!"

* * *

 ** _P.S. I've included a Facecast for Andromeda Tonks on the WCN Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	7. Interlude

_**A/N: I'm supposed to be writing a paper... Shh! Don't tell anyone that I'm procrastinating!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Interlude**

 _31 December 1998_

Ron walked into the small pub in muggle London, looking around. When he spotted the person he was meeting with, he smiled and walked towards her. She looked up at him and put her book down on the table, standing to greet him.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hi," he replied, kissing her softly.

She slid back into the booth, him sliding in next to her. He entwined his fingers with hers and smiled at how easily her small hand fit with his. When the waiter came by, they placed their orders, then waited for him to be out of earshot before they began to speak. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you on Christmas," he said.

She shook her head. "That's alright; I wouldn't have been able to get away, anyway. Mum and dad were _adamant_ that we spend this holiday together as a family. Not that there was much family chatter," she said, bitterly. "Mostly, mum and dad discussed business while my sister and I just waited to be excused so we could return to our room away from the 'family business' talk."

"How bad was it?" he asked.

"On a scale from one to ten? Seven." She sighed but said nothing else as their waiter returned to their table with their food. After he left again and they began to eat, she spoke. "They love us, I believe that. But they're so focused on the family business; even now. It's like they're ignoring that we went through a war; that my some of friends are dead; that I wake up screaming from terrible nightmares. It's like it's better for them to just pretend it never happened and expect my sister and I to do the same. I can't take much more of it."

Ron shrugged. "Everyone copes differently; your parents just chose the avoidance method." He brushed some hair behind her ear and gave her a small smile. "I just bought a flat near Harry about a week ago. It's kind of small and not decorated, well, at all but maybe when you're done with school, you could come live with me? It'd get you out of your parent's place and we'd be able to see each other more often."

She smiled at him. "You'd be willing to shack up with me that quickly?"

"If it meant I got to see you every day, then yes."

Her smile grew at that a little. "You know how scandalous that would be to pretty much everyone, right?"

He smirked and shrugged. "Probably; but what's life without a little excitement, right?"

She giggled and nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" he said. "Okay, as in 'you'll move in after graduation,' okay?"

She kissed his lips lightly and nodded. "Yes."

He grinned and kissed her a little more passionately again. When they broke the kiss, she was blushing and a small smile was on her face. Ron smiled at her but jumped when he remembered what he wanted to give her. "I forgot, I got you something for Christmas."

"Oh, Ron, you didn't have to do that," she argued but he shook his head.

"I wanted to," he smiled. He pulled a rectangular black box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Happy belated Christmas," he said.

She opened up the box and gasped at what she saw. Inside was a simple gold chain with a singular white pearl sitting in the center. "Oh, Ron," she began.

"I know it's not much," he cut her off, "but when I saw it, I knew I had to get it. It reminded me so much of you: beautiful and elegant yet strong and sincere. My pearl in a sea of diamonds," he said, taking the necklace out of her hands and clasping it around her neck.

She touched it lightly and smiled. "Diamonds don't come from the sea, Ron. And, aren't they more valuable than pearls anyway?"

"Not to me," he said.

She felt her heart swell as she understood the meaning behind his words. She gave him a soft kiss that, while it looked sweet, promised so much more that would come later. When they broke, Ron smirked at her. "You ready to get out of here?" She nodded and he signalled the waiter to bring the check.

Once he had paid and they left the restaurant, the couple wandered off to a secluded spot to apparate back to Ron's flat. Once there, her lips crashed against his and they stopped talking for while after that.

* * *

 ** _P.S. The pearl necklace is on the WCN Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I'm very entertained by your guesses as to who Ron's mystery girl is. I'm looking forward to your reactions once she's finally revealed...**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 8:**

 _January 1999_

With the new year, brought new adventures.

Harry, while still struggling to try and figure out what he would do if he left the Aurors, started making the final arrangements to open the orphanage. While he had more than enough money to fund the orphanage, the anonymous donation of 200,000 galleons that had come in a few days prior was _not_ something he was going to turn down. He put most of the money into a new vault at Gringotts that was specifically made for the orphanage but put some aside for Teddy for future use. Teddy would be well taken care of no matter what, but Harry figured a little extra cushion to help Teddy get a kickstart later in life wouldn't cause any harm.

Kreacher had decided he would alternate between Harry's flat and Grimmauld Place until one or the other needed him more. Kreacher had grown quite attached to Harry over the last few months and didn't like the idea of leaving his master alone full time but understood that the House of Black would need his assistance once the orphanage opened. Harry knew Kreacher would enjoy spending most of his time there, anyway.

The orphanage was set to open early next month and Harry was incredibly excited. When he wasn't on a case, he was thinking about the orphanage and his hopes for it. Andromeda had offered to work for the orphanage and Harry had hired her on the spot; she'd be the Headmistress, of sorts. Molly and Luna would also help out at the orphanage and both Professors Sprout and Flitwick offered to help out during the summer holiday when school wasn't in session. The orphanage would take in children of all ages and would still be available to them even after they had received their Hogwarts letters (if they were squibs, the same rule would apply no matter where they chose to pursue their education) and after they graduated, Harry would make sure that the kids who were leaving would have a place to live and an ability to care for themselves. If they chose to stay until they figured out what they wanted to do, they were more than welcome to do so as well. Harry wanted it to be a home to the kids without families; not a prison.

"Potter," his boss, Robards, said pulling him out of his thoughts. "We have a lead on one of the Lestrange brothers wandering the outskirts of Devon. Grab your cloak; we leave in ten minutes."

"Yes sir," Harry replied.

Putting his thoughts on the orphanage in the back of his mind, he cleaned up his desk space, grabbed his cloak, and walked towards the apparition point.

* * *

"A cave?" Ron said. "How medieval."

"Shh," Robards said. "Keep quiet, Weasley!" Ron turned red and Harry smirked at his friend. "Look alive, everyone," Robards said again. "I've got an eye on the target."

Sure enough, Rastaban Lestrange staggered out of the cave, bloodied and worse for wear. It was clear that being on the run was _not_ doing him any good. No one had seen the Lestrange brothers since the final battle until three months ago when Rodolphus turned up dead off the coast of Cape Cornwall. Autopsy showed he had been killed with the killing curse but not before being stabbed with a poisoned dagger. No one in the department was sure what happened or who killed Rodolphus but the investigation was dropped as no one would necessarily miss him.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione chose not to speak about the subject as all three had varying opinions on the matter.

Rastaban took a drink out of a flask and Harry watched in disgust as some alcohol dripped down his face and clothes and he didn't bother to clean himself up. He almost felt sorry for him if he didn't know the horrible things this man had done.

"On my signal, ambush him," Robards commanded. Harry, Ron, and the rest of the team prepared themselves. "Three, two, NOW!"

Immediately the team of Aurors jumped up and began to throw curses at Rastaban, expecting it to be a quick fight.

Merlin, were they wrong.

While Rastaban may have been inebriated, he was incredibly skilled with a wand and immediately began to throw curse after curse at the Aurors. Robards had brought a team of six on this mission but was starting to wish he had brought more for backup due to the fact that Rastaban had yet to be subdued.

Rastaban knocked several Aurors down, including Ron, with a powerful curse, knocking two of them out and leaving Ron with a broken leg. Rastaban gave the remaining three an ugly smile and began to throw more curses faster than before. The third Auror fell leaving only Harry and Robards. Harry knew that Robards would be better equipped to take down Rastaban but when he saw that Rastaban was aiming for Robards, he made a split second decision that, later, he would realize was a very, _very_ bad idea.

Rastaban threw a curse at Robards but before it could hit the Head of the Aurors, Harry jumped in front of Robards, taking the curse for him. That gave Robards enough time to hit Rastaban with a powerful curse that left him unconscious. When he turned to Harry, his intention to yell at him disappeared as he saw Harry seizing on the ground. "Potter!" Robards exclaimed, but Harry couldn't hear him. Harry couldn't hear anything, really, except for muffled sounds.

Whatever the spell was that he had been hit with, it was something he'd never experienced before. His whole body was in pain, like he'd been hit with the Cruciatus, but his head was fuzzy, like he'd been hit with a Confundus charm. He was confused and in a lot of pain.

The last thing he remembered seeing was what looked like Ron, limping into his line of sight; then everything went black.

* * *

"I need a Healer!" Robards yelled, carrying an unconscious Harry into the hospital. "NOW!" he exclaimed.

A mediwitch ran over to the pair and immediately began to inspect Harry. "What happened?" she asked.

"We had a mission gone sour; he took a curse for me. I don't know what he was hit with but as soon as he hit the ground he began to seize up. Can you take him from here? I still have more men out the field who were hit."

"Of course, Auror Robards," she said. He ran back to the apparition point and disappeared while the mediwitch called over another mediwitch to help her with Harry. "We need to get him to the Spell Damage Ward, immediately."

* * *

"Healer Granger!" the mediwitch called. Hermione turned around and immediately stiffened at the mediwitch's concerned expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"There was an attack with the Aurors and Rastaban Lestrange," the mediwitch explained. "Auror Robards and a rescue team are bringing the Aurors who were attacked in but we already have one here, heading to the ward. We need your help to figure out what he was hit with."

"Yes, of course," Hermione nodded, beginning to walk towards her ward. The mediwitch grabbed her arm and stopped her, though. "There's something you should know," she began.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"The patient is Harry Potter."

* * *

Hermione had never run so fast inside the hospital before. By the time she reached Harry's room, she was out of breath. _Okay, Hermione_ , she thought, _breathe. You have to breathe. He's not your best friend right now; he's your patient._

That sobered her up and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. When her heartbeat slowed, she entered the room. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"We've managed to get his heartbeat back to normal but since we have no idea what he was hit with, we can't properly begin to heal him," a mediwizard said.

"Do we know his symptoms?" she asked.

"Auror Robards said he began to seize when he was hit. I haven't been able to get him to wake up but from the groans he was making when we were moving him, I'd say he's in a lot of pain."

Hermione furrowed her brows and ran a diagnostic test on him. The results were not as clear as she would have liked them to have been but she managed to figure out the base of the problem. "I think he was hit with a form of the Cruciatus. Give him a Calming Draught then go check on the others. I'll take it from here."

"Yes, ma'am," the mediwizard said. He did as he was told then left Hermione alone with Harry to go check on the others. Once Hermione was alone with her friend, she grabbed the small flashlight out of her pocket and began to examine Harry _her_ way. "Alright Harry, what happened to you?" she said to herself.

She opened his eye and flashed the light in it and was pleased to see his eyes respond. She checked his pulse and nodded in confirmation that it was at its normal rate then checked his temperature for good measure. When the basics were done, she looked over his file again. "What the hell were you hit with that would cause you to seize up?" she wondered.

"Her-mion-eee," she heard a strained voice say. She looked up and saw that Harry was half awake and reaching for her.

"Shh," she said, taking his hand in hers. "I'm here, Harry; you're okay. You're at St. Mungo's." He nodded and squeezed her hand with all of his might- which wasn't much. "Can you tell me how you feel?" she asked.

"I hurt," he groaned. "And my head is fuzzy. Like- like a nargle is in it."

She sighed; he was more confused than she thought. "Alright, Harry, thank you. Go back to sleep; the next time you wake up, you'll be right as rain, okay?"

He gave her a half smile and closed his eyes. "Love… you," he said, so quietly, she almost missed it.

She gave his hand a light squeeze and smiled. "Love you too, Harry. Now, let's get you better."

She cast another diagnostic charm on him and found that his vitals were returning to semi-normal but it was clear he was still in pain. And she couldn't figure out what would make his brain fuzzy. There were no signs that a _Confundus_ charm had been used on him; so what the hell had he been hit with?

Unless… _Feels like a nargle in it..._

"No; there's no way," she said. Waving her wand over Harry's head, she waited with baited breath to see if she was right. Less than three minutes later, her theory was confirmed. A small pink worm-like creature rolled out of Harry's ear and into the cup she was holding. "Blegh!" she exclaimed. "That is so disgusting." But she had been right.

During Healer training she read up on some lesser known curses and hexes. One of the ones she read about was known as _Cerebrum Vermis_ (literally translated to Brain Worm). The caster would perform the spell and the victim would begin to seize up, feeling pain similar to the Cruciatus curse while their brain would feel fuzzy. The curse caused a small worm to begin to grow inside the victim's head causing continuous pain and would lead to a very painful, very slow death.

It wasn't as well known these days as the spell had been outlawed centuries ago and hadn't been used since the Dark Ages. Now that she thought about it, however, she wasn't surprised that Lestrange knew about it. The Lestrange family was known for old curse and hex use since it would limit the victim's ability to heal since no one in the modern world knew about it; until now.

Closing the container and putting it aside, Hermione ran one more diagnostic test over Harry and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that, immediately, he was returning to normal. His face also relaxed, suggesting that her theory had been right and now, Harry would be okay.

* * *

"A Brain Worm?" Head Healer Alex Waters said. "That's impossible."

"All due respect sir, I've started to believe that _anything_ is possible," Hermione said. "It didn't even occur to me at first that that's what could be at first but something Harry said when he briefly woke up that triggered the idea and it turned out to be true."

"How'd you even know about it?" he asked.

"I did some extra reading during my training. The book I found had the counter curse which is how I knew to get it out of Harry's head."

Healer Waters sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't have the evidence right in front of me. You know we have to go public with this," he said.

"Should we?" she asked. "I don't know if that's necessarily a good idea. What if some Voldemort wannabe gets an idea from it and starts casting it on people?"

"I see your point."

"Maybe teach the other Healers about the curse and what the counter-spell is but don't release any information about the curse to the public. No disrespect, sir, I don't mean to be telling you what to do; that just seems like the best course of action to me."

He nodded and smiled. "I think it's a brilliant idea, Healer Granger. I'll start the necessary paperwork immediately. Thank you; you may return to your patient."

She smiled and got up to leave the office. "Oh, Hermione," Healer Waters said. She turned to face her boss and found him smiling. "Good job."

She returned the smile. "Thank you, sir."

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry had woken up fully and was feeling so much better than he had felt in months. While he was still a little sore, most of the pain that he had felt earlier was gone. When he woke up, the first face he saw was Molly's and he smiled at his surrogate mother.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Molly exclaimed, pulling Harry into a tight hug. "We were so worried; we weren't sure what had happened to you. All Ron was able to tell us was that you took a curse for Robards then started to seize up. I'm so glad you're alright!"

Harry chuckled as Molly fussed over him and greeted Arthur and Ron. "How are you, mate?" Harry asked, his voice cracking.

Ron shrugged and gestured to his leg with the crutch he was holding. "I'm doing pretty good. Broke my leg but they fixed me right up. I gotta walk with thing for about a week then I should be good as new!"

Harry smiled at that and the two began to talk but were interrupted when Robards walked into his room. "Oh, good, you're awake," he said. Immediately the room fell quiet.

"Hello sir," Harry said.

"Could I have a moment with my Auror, please. Alone." Robards said to everyone else in the room. Molly fussed over Harry one more time before leaving the room while Arthur helped Ron hobble out of the room. Once they were alone, Harry gulped as his boss rounded his gaze on him.

"You know what you did was incredibly stupid, right?" he said. Harry nodded. "Good; that'll buy me some time. Potter, in all my years working as an Auror, I have never had someone be as reckless as you out on the battlefield. Just because you're a war hero doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want. What you did was dangerous and could have been much worse than what actually happened." He heaved a sigh. "But that recklessness saved my life. And for that, I want to thank you. I'm not happy with you and I expect a full report when you get back to work; but thank you."

Harry gave his boss a small smile and nodded. "I understand, sir. There'll be a full report on your desk no later than noon Monday."

"And not a minute later, Potter." Robards shook Harry's hand and gave him a wink. "Rest up and we'll see you next week. You did good today, kid."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

"Oh, and Potter," Robards said, turning around.

"Yes sir?" Harry said.

"Don't ever try to save my life again."

Harry smirked and nodded. "Duly noted."

Robards returned the smirk then left the room; not a second later, Hermione arrived, smiling. "Hey you," she said.

"Hey," he replied.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Sore but better."

She nodded and checked his pulse. "You're going to feel sore for a little while. Your body took quite a hit but you'll be fine. I expect you to be on bed rest for the rest of the week, though, understand?"

Harry chuckled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She rolled her eyes and ran another diagnostic test over him. "Hermione," he said.

"Hm?" she asked, distracted.

"What exactly was I hit with?"

She finished up the diagnostic test and sighed. "You sure you want to know? It's not exactly pleasant."

"I want to know," he nodded.

She took a deep breath and explained to him about the Brain Worm. She felt guilty at her amusement for how disgusted he looked as she told him what happened to him. By the time she finished, she couldn't help but laugh at Harry's expression.

"That… is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. Who would even _invent_ something like that?" Harry said.

Hermione giggled and shrugged. "Who the hell knows," she said. "That's not what's important though. The important thing is that we figured out what it is and you're going to be okay." She took his hand in hers and squeezed.

He smiled at her then furrowed his brows. "Did I _really_ say that it felt like there was a nargle in my head?"

She giggled again and nodded. "I think Luna would have been proud of you in that moment."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. Now I have to pretend to think they exist!" Hermione burst out laughing, unable to look over her notes.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Sorry if that was gross. If it's any consolation, I was pretty disgusted when writing it._**

 ** _Also, before anyone comments, the "Love you" was completely platonic. Harmony won't be happening for a while. Sorry not sorry, kids._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Guess what, guys! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I am finally 21! Woo! I'm so excited!**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm gonna go jump up and down now!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 9:**

 _Late January 1999_

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" Harry asked.

She put her book down and looked at him expectantly. "Sure, Harry."

"Remember how you told me your parents gave you that money for Christmas?"

She stiffened a bit and nodded. "Yes."

"And remember how I told you I got an anonymous donation from someone for 200,000 galleons a while ago? The note that came with it said it was for the orphanage."

She nodded again. "Yes, I remember."

He looked at her for a long minute before speaking. "Did you send in the donation?"

She swallowed and put her book on the coffee table. "Harry, I-"

"So it _was_ you," he concluded.

She sighed and dropped her head. "Yes; it was me."

He gave her a small smile and took her hand in his. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

She nodded and looked at him. "I know, Harry, I just… it seemed like the right thing to do." She removed her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the couch. "It's a _lot_ of money, Harry. I don't know what to do with it all; honestly, I'm _uncomfortable_ with how much it 's this huge pile of gold sitting in my vault at Gringotts and I have _no_ idea what to do with it! Donating it to the orphanage seemed like a good idea because at least it was going to a good cause but it barely made a dent in what's now in my vault. How the hell do all these old wizard families deal with having that much money? How are they _comfortable_ with it?!"

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know, Hermione. Have you thought about giving some to the Weasleys? You know, just as a cushion?"

She nodded. "That was the first thing that came to mind but I decided against it because it seems a little insulting to do that, you know? After everything that family's done for us, giving them money seems offensive; like everything they've done for us could easily be replaced with money. I didn't feel comfortable with that."

Harry nodded understandingly. "I see your point."

"Ugh!" she exclaimed. "I don't know what to do!"

"Look at it this way," Harry said. "You don't _have_ to do anything with it. You can just keep it in your vault, only dipping into it when you need to and feel satisfied knowing your future children will be set for the next six hundred years."

She laughed and shook her head. "I suppose you're right. It's just weird."

He nodded. "I know what you mean. But you'll figure something out; you always do." She smiled at that. "I do have one more question for you," he said.

"Go for it," she replied.

"Will you be my plus one to the orphanage opening?"

She laughed and nodded. "Of course, Harry."

* * *

 _February 1999_

"Ladies and gentlemen," Harry said, beaming. "It is my pleasure and honor to open the Potter House for Orphans to the public!"

The crowd applauded as Harry unlocked the door to Grimmauld Place and allowed everyone to enter the new orphanage. Hermione linked her arm with Harry's as they led several reporters throughout the house and explained how the orphanage would work and what Harry's intentions were.

Most of the day was spent with Harry and Andromeda talking with reporters about the orphanage while friends, family, and public officials toured the house and saw what would become a refuge for young wizards/witches/squibs who needed a sanctuary. "This is going to be a place where the kids feel safe," Harry told one reporter. "This may be the only home they ever know; I want them to know that, here, they are safe and loved."

Hermione, holding a blue-haired Teddy and watching the interview from afar, smiled at Harry's statement. She knew that, as long as Harry was running the orphanage, every and any kid who entered Number 12 Grimmauld Place would never feel alone or unloved again.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Sorry for the short chapter; it needed to be like this because the focus shifts in the next chapter. If I can, I'll post another one today but no promises._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I wish I could post this chapter with a lighter heart. My heart and prayers go out to those affected by the Orlando tragedy that occurred Saturday night/Sunday morning. Please know that you are not alone and I stand with you now and forever. And I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10:**

 _March 1999_

"A gala?" Hermione asked skeptically.

Arthur shrugged. "Kingsley said it was a way to remember those we lost during the war while celebrating our side's win. Or something like that."

Everyone at the table looked to each other, skeptical. "Well, I think it's a grand idea," Percy said.

"Of course you do!" George exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "It's an opportunity for you to network!" Percy shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing causing his brother to laugh.

"Would Ginny be able to make it?" Hermione asked. "Or Neville or Luna for that matter?"

Arthur nodded. "Kingsley and McGonagall already discussed it; McGonagall's going to release the students that Thursday evening so they can return home and prepare for the gala and have them come back that Monday evening. She said it'd be a good last minute break for the students before exams."

Hermione and Harry glanced to one another but chose to keep their opinions to themselves for the rest of the dinner.

* * *

"A _gala_?!" Hermione exclaimed once they were safely behind the walls of Harry's flat. "Have they lost their minds? They might as well just say 'Sorry you lost your loved ones but we're going to party instead of paying them respect!'"

"I know," Harry agreed.

"This is just a political stunt by the Ministry!" she exclaimed, pacing. "They want to seem like they're not incompetent imbeciles now so they think that throwing this party is going to help appearances when, _really_ , it just makes them look like a bunch of arseholes!"

"I agree."

"And you _know_ they expect you, me, and Ron to go to this stupid thing! Because we're fucking war heros and _whatever_ so we have to go and pretend that we support their bullshit and-"

"Hermione!" Harry said, grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop. "You're going to make a hole in my rug; the one that _you_ bought, need I remind you."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, hugging him close. "I'm sorry, Harry. I just get so frustrated with the Ministry sometimes. It's bullshit like this that made me not want to work with them."

He nodded and sighed. "I know what you mean. It's incredibly frustrating and you want to pull your hair out. But we have to trust Kingsley on this; he wouldn't do anything that he didn't think through first."

She groaned. "I hate it when you're rational."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Well, one of us has to be, right?" She shook her head and pulled out of the hug to run her fingers through her hair. "Er, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Would- would you be my plus one to the gala?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, Harry; I'd love to suffer through the night with you."

He laughed at that and nodded in agreement.

* * *

The young woman was walking the halls of Hogwarts, lost in her thoughts, when she heard a noise. She stopped and waited a moment to see if she heard it again. Sure enough, she heard a whispering sound coming from behind her.

"Psst!" a voice said.

She turned to find her boyfriend hiding behind a tapestry, waving at her to come over to him. She checked the hallway, making sure no one else was in the area, before joining him behind the tapestry. "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," he smiled, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "And I was wondering if you've seen the most recent _Daily Prophet_."

"What? The article about the gala? Yeah, I've seen it," she replied.

He gave her a goofy grin and took both her hands in his. "Will you go with me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "To the gala? As a couple?"

His smile fell. "Too soon, you think?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think it's too soon. I just… I want to make sure you know what that would mean for us."

"It means I'd finally be able to show off my amazing girlfriend to the rest of the world."

She blushed at his praise. "Ron, you know what I'm talking about: are you ready for all the publicity that would come with? The speculation? My _father_?"

Recognition showed in his eyes as he realized what she was saying. "Oh, that."

"Yeah, _that_."

He sighed and removed his hands from hers to caress her face. "My parent's opinions don't matter in regards to this; if your dad has kittens, we'll work around it. I'm not letting you go so they'll just have to accept it. It might not be easy but we can handle it. As for the press, they're vultures and they'll do whatever they can to sour our relationship but I know how I feel about you and nothing the press will say will change that. Now, assuming you feel the same about me-"

"I do," she reassured him.

"-then I think it's high time you and I went public, don't you think? I'm tired of hiding out in my flat. I want to take you out to dinner and dancing and to Quidditch games-"

"I don't like Quidditch, though-"

"-I just want to be able to spend time with you _outside_ of our secluded spaces. So, I ask you again: will you go to the gala with me?"

She smiled at him and reached on her tiptoes to match his height. "I would love to," she replied. Ron grinned and met her lips with his, closing the distance between them as they snogged behind a tapestry at Hogwarts.

* * *

Several floors up, Ginny was sitting in the Gryffindor common room reading a Quidditch magazine. Neville came and sat down next to her and waited for her to look at him. She did not.

"Watcha doin?" Neville asked.

"Reading," Ginny replied.

"Watcha reading about?" he asked.

"Quidditch," she replied again, still not looking at him.

"Anything interesting going on?" he said.

"Mm, not really," she said.

He huffed in frustration. "Ginny, I'm trying to talk to you here and you're not participating."

"Hmm," was all she said.

Knowing his girlfriend well enough to know she wouldn't take any bait he tried to throw her, he decided to just come right out with it. "Will you go to the gala with me?"

She put the magazine down and looked at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"The End of the War gala in May. Will you go with me?"

She studied him for a moment before a smile appeared on her lips. "Well it's about bloody time you asked, Longbottom!" she exclaimed before tackling him and peppering him with kisses.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. It means a lot._**

 ** _Also, congratulations to Hamilton the musical for winning 11 of the 16 Tony awards it was nominated for. You all deserve it._**

 ** _Ron's mystery girl will be revealed soon, I promise._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Alright guys, it's the moment you've all been waiting for...**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 _May 1999_

The young woman stood in front of the mirror admiring her appearance. The dark blue dress she was wearing complimented her hair and brought out silver speckles in her colorful eyes; the necklace Ron had given her over Christmas rested on her neck and she smiled at the simple piece, revelling in the meaning behind it.

She looked up when she heard a light knock on the door. "Come in," she replied.

Ron opened the door, his hand covering his eyes, and she giggled. "Are you decent?" he asked.

"Would it stop you if I said 'no?'"

"Probably not," he said and she laughed.

"Then why are you covering your eyes?"

"I'm waiting for the big reveal or whatever," he said, smirking.

She rolled her eyes and looked over her appearance one last time before nodding in approval. She turned back to her boyfriend and smiled. "Okay, you can look."

He removed his hand and immediately his jaw dropped. "Wow, you look beautiful."

She blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He looked down at himself and smiled. "Well, it's certainly much better than my Yule Ball robes." She laughed at the memory of that but Ron kissed her before she could make fun of him for it. What was supposed to be a sweet and quick peck turned into a passionate kiss that left both of them breathless afterwards.

"You think they'll notice if we're late?" he asked, pulling her close to him.

She chuckled and nodded. "They'll notice, Ron. Your sister would probably kill you if we were."

He nodded in agreement. "That's true; she's been dying to figure out who you are for _months_."

She laughed. "Well, she's certainly in for a surprise. They all are." Her smile fell as she thought about something. "What if they don't like me? I mean, think about who I am and all that."

"They'll love you," he said with confidence. "It's not like you were the worst of the bunch, anyway. And besides, you and Hermione have so much in common, you'll be best friends before the end of the night."

She smiled. "I hope you're right."

"I am; being friends with Hermione for years has rubbed off on me."

She laughed again but it was cut short as Ron captured her lips in another kiss.

* * *

"I still think this is a bad idea," Hermione said as her mother pinned her hair back.

"So you've said, dear." Liz said, adding another bobby pin to Hermione's mass of curls (she had managed to calm them down some with a spell and some hair products but there was still _a lot_ of hair that had to be dealt with). "Look at it this way," Liz said, "you can use tonight as a form of closure."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"Take a moment to say goodbye to everyone you lost. And while you're doing that, remember that, no matter where they are, they're at peace. I think it's the best way to handle something like this. It's either that or don't go."

"And sadly, _that_ is not an option," Hermione said smiling.

Liz chuckled and finished pinning the last curl to Hermione's head. "All done! Harry won't know what hit him!"

"Muuuummm!" Hermione said, rolling her eyes and blushing.

"What? All I'm saying is he's going to think you're beautiful, which you are, no matter what. I'm not suggesting anything; but if it so happens that something does, I would not object to it."

"Mother!" Hermione said, burying her face into her hands. "It's not like that between us and you know it!"

"Mhm, sure it's not," Liz said, smirking. "Nevermind that you've brought him over for dinner several times for the last few months, you're spending an _awful_ lot of time with him, and anytime I mention his name, you blush."

Hermione looked at her mother horrified. "I do _not_!"

"Sure, you don't." She held up Hermione's dress. "Time to get dressed."

The conversation dropped temporarily as Liz helped Hermione into her dress. "I still think this dress is too much," Hermione said.

Liz rolled her eyes. "Hermione, it's a gala, not a cocktail party. It's a rule that you look absolutely fabulous. And no daughter of mine is going to a _gala_ in a cocktail dress."

Hermione frowned and looked at the dress hanging outside her closet that she had originally planned to wear. "I like that dress though."

"I like it too; but it's not appropriate for an event like this. Turn around, I need to zip you up."

Once she was zipped up and got her shoes on, she gave herself one last look over in the mirror. Her mother had picked out a gorgeous deep red gown with sequins on the bodice then fanned out at the waist into a flowing skirt. She looked like a princess in those old fairy tale novels she read as a kid. "Wow," she said.

"You look beautiful, love," Liz said, squeezing her daughter's arms. Hermione smiled at her as she kissed the top of her head. "I know this is the last thing you'd want to do tonight but this'll be good for you, I think. You'll have more fun that you're willing to admit and it gets you out for the night. You spend far too much time at home."

"I thought you liked having me home?"

"I do! We do! But, Hermione, you're nearly a twenty year old woman and your idea of a good night out is staying in. You're young, you're beautiful, and you're wickedly smart! Go out and go meet some cute guy at a pub somewhere and, if he's good enough, bring him home for your father to intimidate him!" Hermione laughed at that. "Or just date Harry, whichever comes first."

"MUM!"

"Hermione!" Josh's voice called from downstairs. "Harry's here!"

"Saved by the devil, himself," Hermione muttered as Liz laughed and followed her daughter out of her room and downstairs. Hermione entered the drawing room to find her father staring at Harry intently while the latter just looked anywhere _but_ the Granger patriarch. "Josh!" Liz exclaimed. "Don't terrorize the poor boy!"

"I'm just trying to get a good look at his teeth!" Josh explained to his wife. "Have you had your wisdom teeth removed?" he asked Harry.

"Er, no sir," Harry replied.

"Daaad! Leave him alone!" Hermione said, walking towards her best friend. "His teeth are fine."

"And how would you know that?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Magic," she replied, enjoying the shock that appeared on her father's face. "You- what- magic?!" he stuttered.

"I'm sure it does just as good a job as you and me, Josh," Liz said smiling. "Have her home no later than three am, okay Harry?"

"Three?!" Both Hermione and Josh exclaimed.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry replied and before either Josh or Hermione could argue, Liz ushered her daughter and Harry out the door and on their way. "Have fun tonight!" she said, closing the front door.

Hermione rolled her eyes and began to laugh. "Sorry about that; she's a bit colorful at times."

"I like her," Harry said, smiling. "You look beautiful, by the way."

She blushed. "Thank you; you're looking quite handsome yourself, Harry."

"Thank you!" Harry said, beaming. She laughed at his excited expression.

"You ready?" he asked.

She sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

He took her hand and squeezed it before apparating them out of her neighborhood and back to Harry's flat to access a working floo.

* * *

Neville and Ginny were waiting in Kingsley's office (he allowed them special access to get to the gala without battling the press) for Harry and Hermione and Ron and his date. While waiting, they kept themselves entertained with talking about their future.

"McGonagall's already offered me a position to shadow Professor Sprout for the year as she prepares for retirement," Neville said.

"And you'd take over after she left?" Ginny asked.

He nodded. "I'd be able to live either in the castle or in Hogsmeade. If I chose Hogsmeade, however, I'd be able to get a house."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"I mean, I'm just thinking ahead and- we don't have to- you don't-" Ginny cut him off with a chaste kiss to his lips. "Wanna try that in English, Neville?" she asked.

He gave a nervous chuckle and ran his hands through his hair. "Would- would maybe want to move in together after graduation? If we got a place in Hogsmeade, it'd be close to the school but not so far away that we're separated from the rest of civilization. And everything would be a floo away and-" Ginny cut him off with another kiss.

"I was rambling again, wasn't I?" he asked and she laughed.

"Not really; I just really wanted to kiss you."

He smiled. "So is that a yes?"

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "What do you think, Longbottom?"

His smile grew and he leaned in to kiss her again but the floo roared to life, causing the couple to pull apart. Harry stepped through first, smiling at the two of them. "Hi guys," he said.

"Hi Harry," Neville replied, beaming from his conversation with Ginny.

"Where's- woah!" Ginny exclaimed as Hermione flooed into the room. Ginny gave her friend a whistle. "Hermione, if I played for the other team, I'd be killing myself trying to get your attention tonight."

Hermione blushed and laughed while Harry and Neville looked a mix between baffled and amused. "Thanks Gin, I suppose. You look great too."

"I know," she smiled and Hermione laughed again.

"Have either of you seen my brother?" Ginny asked a moment later. "He's going to make us late."

"Gin, when have you _ever_ known Ron to run on time?" Hermione said.

"Hey! I resent that!" a new voice said, flooing into the room. The four turned and saw Ron dusting off his trousers. "I don't _always_ run late."

"Mm, the ratio between you running late and running on time begs to differ," Ginny said.

Ron's jaw dropped but before he could retort, a beautiful blonde appeared in the fireplace and stepped out. She dusted some floo powder off her shoulder then turned to look at the group standing in front of her.

Ron smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend: Daphne Greengrass. Daph, this is… well, you know who they are."

Harry and Neville raised their eyebrows, surprised at Ron's girlfriend, while Ginny had to control her jaw from dropping. Hermione seemed to be the only one who wasn't surprised by the reveal- or if she was, she was doing a brilliant job of hiding it. She smiled at Daphne and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Daphne."

Daphne released a breath she had been holding and smiled at Hermione. "I suppose it's less of a meeting and more of a reunion since we all know each other, already."

"True," Hermione nodded, "but we've never formally been introduced."

The blonde shrugged. "You got me, there."

At Hermione's laugh, the rest of the group seemed to come back to life and greeted Daphne with equal warmness. Ron smiled as his sister pulled Daphne into a tight hug, surprising the blonde but causing her to laugh all the same. Once the introductions had been made and the shock had worn off, Neville spoke. "Are we ready?"

"Do we still have time to run home and hide until this is over?" Hermione asked.

Neville laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, Hermione, you're going to have to suffer through this with the rest of us."

"Damn it," she said.

Ginny laughed and linked her arm with Hermione's and her other arm with Daphne's. "Shall we?"

"'Lead on, McDuff," Harry said.

"Lay on," both Hermione and Daphne corrected.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"It's from a muggle play," Hermione explained. "You know Shakespeare?" she asked, looking to Daphne.

She shrugged. "I like to read."

"Oh yeah, they're going to get along _just_ fine," Ron said to Harry, smirking.

* * *

So far, the gala had been exactly what Hermione had been dreading: speeches, average food, politicians schmoozing each other, and a cash bar (which was just _cruel_ in Hermione's mind). The only plus was that the music was actually good and didn't involve just waltzing around the dance floor. She might have died if she had had to waltz with _one more person_ who wanted to get up close and personal with Hermione Granger, war heroine and Brightest Witch of Her Age.

Currently, she was sitting at their table, sipping on a glass of champagne (she bit the bullet and paid for a bottle so she wouldn't have to keep returning to the bar for refills) while watching Ron and Daphne dance in small circles on the dance floor.

He was clearly smitten with her; he never left her side and while they were dancing, his eyes stayed on her the whole time. She was happy to see that Daphne seemed as taken with Ron as he was with her. Despite the fact that nearly everyone stared at them when they entered the room and that multiple suitors tried to pull her away from Ron, she consistently turned them down, choosing to repeatedly dance in small circles with the much less agile Ron rather than be spun around the room like she was the belle of the ball. Hermione knew they seemed like a strange couple, but after seeing them interact, she knew they were good for each other. He made her laugh when she got too serious and she kept him grounded when he got too excited; where he was impulsive and loud, she was calm and quiet. They balanced each other.

She wondered how both sets of parents would react once the news of their relationship broke in the morning. She could see the headline now: _War Hero Attends Gala with Daughter of Voldemort Sympathizers._ She frowned as she thought about that; the Greengrass' led a very private life, doing their duty by attending balls held by their fellow pureblood elites but stayed out of the spotlight when it came to Voldemort and the war. She didn't doubt they (or at least Daphne's parents) believed in his cause but chose to stay away from the action when the time came in order to protect themselves. That didn't save them from public speculation of course but, Hermione assumed, they didn't lose much sleep over that considering they were still held on a high pedestal in society.

She sighed, thinking about how long they still had to go. Despite everything they fought for in the war, there was still quite a bit prejudice happening in the world; only this time, it came from the light side. People who fought for the side of good (or simply hid until it was all over) still accused people- Slytherins, to be exact- of being murderers and Voldemort sympathizers, even if they had nothing to do with Voldemort's cause; guilty by association. She hoped with Ron and Daphne's relationship going public, some of the prejudice would diminish as people saw that not all Slytherins were bad; however, she wasn't naïve. She knew there'd be a long way to go before it ever got to the point where prejudice was no longer an issue in their world.

 _One battle at a time,_ she thought.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt someone sit next to her. She looked over to find Harry pouring some champagne from the bottle she bought into an empty glass. She snatched the bottle from him and held it close to herself. "Get your own!"

He laughed and shook his head. "Sorry; it just didn't seem worth paying for another bottle when you already had one."

"Well this one is mine so if you want more, you have to buy your own bottle."

He laughed again. "You're greedy when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk! I'm far more sober than I'd like to be, actually."

"Well, let's remedy that, shall we?" he said, lifting his glass to hers.

"Yes, please," she said, toasting his glass and throwing back her glass.

Between the two of them, they managed to finish the rest of the bottle within a couple more glasses. By their third glasses, he was barely feeling a buzz while she was far more tipsy than she cared to admit. "I'm fine, Harry! You worry too much."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Hermione. You ready to get out of here?"

She nodded and grabbed her bag. "Wait! What time is it?"

He looked at his watch. "Quarter to midnight."

"I can't go home yet!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Mum said I can't be home 'til three!"

He smiled at her concern and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll get you home by your designated time. We'll just go back to my place and watch movies or something." She looked at him suspiciously. "What?"

"Scary movies?" she said.

He shook his head. "No scary movies; I promise."

Satisfied, she let him lead her out of the Ministry and back to Kingsley's office. "Should we have said goodbye?" she asked.

"Nah; we'll see them later in the week." She looked down to take her shoes off, missing Harry slip something out of his jacket pocket and placing it on Kingsley's desk. When she looked back at him, he took her hand in his and led her into the fireplace. "You ready?" She nodded and he flooed them out of the Ministry and back to his flat.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Bravo to everyone who guess Ron's mystery girl correct. I loved seeing all your guesses._**

 ** _All the dresses the girls wear in this chapter (as well as a facecast for Daphne) will be posted on the Pinterest page for this story._**

 ** _Also, sorry I ended this chapter so abruptly. This chapter and chapter 12 were too long as one combined chapter so I split them up. It just makes more sense that way, I feel._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: I should be in bed... oh well. Thank you all for your kind reviews, they mean a lot!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 12:**

The moment Harry and Hermione returned to his flat, he pulled out some spare clothes of his for her to change into. "You'll be more comfortable in these," he said.

She smiled at him and walked (more like stumbled) into the loo to change. While she was busy, he changed himself then walked into his kitchen and began to sift through the mail on his counter. "Bill, bill, junk, bill, junk," he muttered to himself. "Why is there never anything interesting in the mail?"

As if answering his question, there was a light tapping on his window. He turned to look and saw a large barn owl tapping at his window, persistently. He opened up the window and the large bird flew in and landed right on the counter and stuck it's leg out, showing Harry the letter it came to deliver. He scratched the owl's head and untied the letter, watching the bird fly back out the window as soon as it's job was done. Harry closed the window and began to read the letter when he felt two arms snake around his midsection and a head lay on his back. "Mmm, you're warm," Hermione said.

He laughed. "Thank you, I think." She hummed in response and he began to read the letter. A smile grew on his face as he read the contents and could only imagine the joy the rest of the Weasleys could be feeling right now. "Fleur had her baby early," he told Hermione. She hummed once again and he continued. "Both of them are fine, though; Molly says the baby's perfectly healthy for being born several weeks early. It's a girl; they named her Victorie."

"Victorie," Hermione said, quietly. "That's a pretty name."

Harry smiled at his inebriated friend and was about to unwrap her arms from his waist when she jumped back from him. "HARRY!"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I didn't buy Fleur a baby gift!" she said, looking horrified that she had forgotten something.

He laughed and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Hermione; you still have time to get a gift for them."

"But the baby's already born! Is that appropriate?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. It's the thought that counts though, isn't it?"

She glared at him. "That's the arsehole way of saying 'I was too lazy to buy you something.'"

He rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Tell you what, we'll go shopping tomorrow and you can get Fleur the best baby gift that's ever been gifted, okay?"

She furrowed her brows as he sat her down on the sofa. "I suppose that's the best I can do in this situation."

"Yes, it is," he nodded. "Now, you lie down and I'll get you some water."

She huffed and crossed her arms. "I'm not a child, Harry; I'm older than you."

He smirked and nodded. "True; but you're also pissed and a lightweight. And, you're going to have a serious hangover tomorrow, so I suggest you start to sleep off what you can now." She huffed again and he chuckled. "Or not; it's up to you."

He left her muttering to herself as he grabbed her a glass of water. When he returned, he found her staring at the wall in shock. "Hermione? Everything okay?"

She looked at him, eyes still wide. "We didn't get our dance in!"

"Sorry?" he said, putting the water on the table.

"Our dance, Harry! We didn't get to dance together tonight! I'm a terrible date! You should have me arrested!"

He laughed and sat down next to her. "For not dancing with me? That seems a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"But we didn't dance together! What kind of date _does_ that?!" Her eyes widened more as she thought more. "What kind of best _friend_ does that?! Oh, God, I'm the worst!"

He resisted the urge to laugh again and stood up, holding his hand out to her. "If it means that much to you, we can have our dance right now."

She furrowed her brows. "But there's no music-" she began to say but Harry cut her off by waving his wand towards the small radio on the shelf in the corner and a soft melody began to play throughout the room. "You were saying?" Harry said.

She giggled and took Harry's outstretched hand. He pulled her close and began to dance with her in small circles around his drawing room. "Your dancing's improved," she mused.

He smirked. "My dancing has gotten much better from my Yule Ball days, thank you very much."

She scrunched up her nose. "Sort of; you still won't move around the room. You like small circles."

"Hey! You weren't complaining about the small circles when we danced in the tent!" he argued.

"Well that was a much smaller space," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure; keep telling yourself that."

She giggled again and rested her head against his chest. They danced in silence for the rest of the song but when the next one started, Hermione perked up and smiled. "What?" Harry asked.

"This is the song we danced to in the tent!" she said, excitedly.

He listened for a minute and smiled. "Yes, it is," he said, looking at her. It was now, he realized just how close they were. Their dancing had slowed to a stop and they were looking into each other's eyes. As they looked at each other, everything else seemed to fade away; it was just them and the soft music playing in the background. Hermione's eyes fluttered closed and she stood on her tiptoes to match his height. He lowered his head to hers and closed his eyes but stopped just before his lips met hers when he smelled the champagne on her breath.

He wanted to kiss her; he'd wanted to for much longer than he realized. But he didn't want to now; not like this; not when they had been drinking. He could feel his heart drop as he realized what he had to do. Sighing, he lifted his lips to her forehead and kissed her softly there, instead. He wished it was her lips, but he knew it wouldn't be right if it was. He replaced his lips with his forehead and opened his eyes to see confusion reflecting back in hers. He gave her a small reassuring smile and squeezed her hands. "We should get you to bed," he said.

She nodded, not saying a word, as he led her to his bedroom. She furrowed her brows as he pulled down the covers for her. "Where will you sleep?" she asked.

"I'll take the sofa," he smiled.

"Harry, no," she began to argue but he shook his head and cut her off. "I'll just transfigure the couch into a bed. Don't worry about me, Hermione. You just rest."

She blushed, embarrassed that she hadn't thought of that and crawled into bed, letting Harry tuck her in. "I'll let your mum know you're staying here tonight, okay?" he said and she nodded. He kissed her forehead again and walked out of the room, pretending he didn't hear the small "Love you" escape Hermione's lips before she fell asleep.

* * *

Hermione woke the next morning with a pounding in her head and a cotton taste in her mouth. She groaned and opened her eyes to look at the clock on the bedside table; seven-thirty. "Urgh," she said, rolling onto her other side. She tried to fall back asleep but couldn't get comfortable again. Finally, she slowly got up from the bed and padded to the bathroom to take a shower and rinse off the previous day. She was extra grateful for Harry, who had put out an extra toothbrush for her. She'd never been so happy to brush her teeth.

Once she was out, she wrapped herself in a towel and returned to the bedroom, surprised to find fresh clothes and a hangover potion waiting for her. "Harry, you beautiful man," she said to herself. She downed the potion in one swallow, immediately feeling better, and got dressed before wandering to the kitchen to find Harry.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she smelled ham and eggs cooking and smiled at the domestic side of Harry she so rarely saw. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and muffled her laugh as she watched Harry move around the kitchen, humming to himself, wearing a _Kiss the Cook_ apron. When he began to dance to the tune he was humming, Hermione accidentally let a giggle slip and he spun around on his heels, blushing from getting caught. "Oh, you're up."

She giggled again. "Yep, I'm up." She giggled again and no longer tried to hide her smile. "So, uh, do you always wear that around the house or just when you have guests over?"

He scrunched his nose at her and crossed his arms. "It's handy and a housewarming gift from Neville."

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure he didn't give you that as a joke?"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, frustrated.

"Harry, come on," she argued, laughing, "it says _Kiss the Cook_ on it! You can't seriously tell me you don't think Neville bought you that as a joke."

"Oh, I'm almost positive he did," Harry said, struggling to hide his smirk. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to wear it."

She laughed again and shook her head. "Whatever makes you happy, Harry."

He smiled and nodded. "Thank you!"

She walked to the counter and poured herself some coffee before sitting at the table where Harry placed an omelette in front of her before joining her at the table. They ate in silence for a few minutes before she spoke. "Sorry about last night, by the way," she said.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Don't be; you didn't vomit on me or do anything particularly embarrassing so you have nothing to be sorry for."

She gave him a small smile and shook her head. "Well, I may not have done anything embarrassing to _you_ but nearly having a panic attack over not getting Fleur a baby gift- which I did _months_ ago, thank you very much- is pretty embarrassing to me."

"Oh so you _do_ remember that?" Harry asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I remember everything," she said, pushing down the memory of their almost kiss the night before. To distract herself from that memory, she brought up another one. "Including my multiple freak outs over minor issues. Did I really freak out over our not dancing last night at the gala?"

He laughed and nodded. "Yes, you did; I think you were about to cry at one point because you felt so bad."

"Urgh!" she groaned and buried her face into her hands, causing Harry to laugh again. "That's it, you're not allowed to let me drink _ever again_!" she said.

"Aw, but you're so funny when you're pissed!" he said, still laughing.

She glared at him but it didn't deter him. "Hey, look at it this way: at least you're not like Ron when he's pissed. He gets very huggy. And then once he hugs you, he won't let go!"

Hermione laughed at that. "I think I remember hearing something about that from Neville the next morning. Didn't he fall asleep on the floor next to Seamus' bed or something?"

Harry laughed and nodded. "Yeah; poor Seamus. He didn't know what to do."

She rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly. "Oh! Thank you for the hangover potion and fresh clothes by the way."

He smiled and shook his head. "No problem; although Kreacher is technically the one you should thank. I just asked him to get you some stuff and he came back ten minutes later with clothes and several hangover potions for future use."

She grimaced. "Merlin help us all." He laughed at that but her eyes widened as she thought about that. "Wait, did you send Kreacher to my _house_?!"

"Yes, but don't worry; I told him to go once your parents were asleep so they wouldn't be surprised to find an elf wandering their house."

She raised an eyebrow, not sure how she felt about Kreacher being in her house without her parent's knowledge but supposed it wasn't hurting anyone if they didn't know about _that_ tiny detail. "How's Kreacher liking the orphanage?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, he's loving it!" Harry exclaimed. "He adores kids so he's having a blast taking care of all the little children there."

"Are the kids liking it?"

He nodded. "They seem to be. Andromeda tells me they're all getting along incredibly well and she says she hasn't heard that much laughter in that house in a really long time." Hermione's heart tightened at that and she reached over and squeezed his hand. "That's great to hear, Harry."

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Hermione, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay?" she said, noticing the hesitation in his voice. He stood and waved his wand, sending the dished to the sink as they began to clean themselves, "Molly taught me the spell," he told Hermione, as he led her out of the kitchen and into the drawing room. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. She complied and waited as he put his thoughts together.

"I'm leaving the Aurors," he said, finally.

She furrowed her brows. "I know; we talked about this already."

He shook his head. "No, Hermione, I'm _leaving_ the Aurors." At her still confused expression, he elaborated. "I left my letter of resignation on Kingsley's desk when we left last night. Assuming he didn't return to his office after the gala, it'll be the first thing he sees Monday morning."

Hermione stared at him shocked for a moment before speaking. "Harry… you- I- I don't understand. You said you weren't going to leave until you had another job lined up?"

"I know but I've just… I've hit my limit. Getting injured back in January put a lot into perspective for me and I've realized that I don't want to live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I want to get married and start a family some day and live until I'm older than Dumbledore and I can't do that if every time I go to work, I'm putting my life on the line. I'm tired of fighting the bad guys; I just want a peaceful life from here on out. So, I quit."

She didn't say anything for a moment, taking in everything Harry had just said. She understood; since she was eleven, she'd been helping her best friend fight a maniac who was out for his blood since his birth. Now that Voldemort was gone, Harry didn't _have_ to fight anymore. She supposed she understood his reasoning. Taking his hand in hers, she smiled at him. "Okay; so what are you going to do next?"

He sighed and entwined his fingers with hers. "That's the other hard part… I- I've been thinking about leaving England for a while."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her brows furrowing.

"I've never really been outside the country before excluding Hogwarts. And even that doesn't really count because that was for school. I've never properly been to the beach or seen a different country other than just pictures. For the first time for as long as I can remember, I don't have something I have to do or somewhere I have to be. There's a whole world out there that I know nothing about and now, I can discover it. I can do what I want; and I want to _live_."

"Have you talked to Melody about this?"

He nodded. "She loves the idea."

Hermione nodded, feeling tears filling her eyes but she wiped them away and smiled at him. "When would you leave?"

He shrugged. "Ideally, the beginning of next month."

She sniffled and wiped away another tear. "You deserve to have that opportunity, Harry. I'm glad that you're going to take it."

He frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?" She shook her head but he was persistent. "Hermione, talk to me; what's wrong?"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly as she cried. "Hey, don't cry," he said, soothingly. "I'm not leaving forever."

She pulled back and sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Promise me something," she said.

"Anything," he said, watching her.

"Go; go out and go see the world. Go learn new things about yourself and the world you've yet to see. Just promise me this: promise me that you'll come back. Promise me that when you're done, you'll come home."

He nodded and put his hands on both sides of her face and kissed her forehead before replacing his lips with his forehead. She wrapped her hands around his wrists and rubbed her thumbs along the backs of his hands. "Always," he whispered to her.

* * *

 ** _P.S. I know you want to see them get together... it's coming, I promise! We just have a few more things we have to address first._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	13. Interlude II

_**A/N: Okay, it appears there's a miscommunication here. Either everyone skipped Chapter 4 or I have failed you as an author. By the amount of questions I have received asking "Who is Melody," it appears to be the latter. And for that, I apologize.**_

 ** _Healer Melody Laster was introduced in Chapter 4 as Hermione's (and later Harry's) therapist, or mind healer, if you want to get technical. If you're wondering why H/Hr call her by her first name, I modeled their relationship with her after my relationship with my therapist. I trust her and have known her long enough to be on a first name basis with her. Despite H/Hr working with Melody for such a short time, I feel they would have developed a close relationship with her and that's why they're on a first name basis with her. Or it was Melody's request that they call her by her first name. Whichever tickles your fancy._**

 ** _I do apologize again for the confusion. Hopefully that clears it all up._**

 ** _Also, since we're here, just so you know, updates might slow down for the time being. One of my summer classes is ending in a couple weeks so I need to focus on that. Hopefully they won't slow down much but I'm just giving you a heads up now._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Interlude**

 _Late May 1999_

"A Weasley?! You're dating a _Weasley_?" Atticus Greengrass exclaimed.

Daphne could see how angry her father was becoming but stood her ground. "Yes, I'm dating a Weasley. And nothing you can say will stop me."

"Do you have any idea what this could do us?! To our reputation?"

"Oh, it's always about the reputation and the family name and blah, blah, blah! It's never about _us_! It's never about me or Tori or what we want; it's always about upholding the family name and making sure the Greengrasses stay prominent in society. Well, I don't care about that! I never did!"

"How do you not care?! This could destroy everything I've worked for, Daphne!"

"Why? Because I'm dating a blood traitor? Is that it? Did the war teach you nothing?! Blood status doesn't matter; it never did. At the end of the day, we all end up buried six feet under ground then eventually turn to dust. I don't want to spend my life trying to uphold the family honor then on my deathbed, realize that I've never lived at all; I'd rather spend it with someone I love and care about instead. Someone who makes me laugh and makes me feel beautiful; someone who will stay loyal to me until my dying day and someone I can _trust_. Those people come few and far between these days." The Greengrass patriarch was fuming but Daphne wasn't done yet. "I love him, father. And I don't care if I lose my inheritance over him; I don't need the money. I just need him. Whether or not you accept that is up to you but I'm not going anywhere and neither is he."

And with that, she grabbed her cloak and flooed out of Greengrass Manor. Atticus sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Well that could've gone better," a new voice said. He looked to the doorway and found his wife, Alexandra, watching him, her arms crossed.

He sighed again. "Not now, Alexandra."

"Yes, _now_ ," she said, walking into the room. "What were you thinking? Did you seriously think yelling at her was the right way to get her to listen to you?"

"Well, I-" he shrugged, "I don't know. It was a moment of anger and I wasn't thinking properly."

"Well you better figure it out, Atticus; and the first thing I want you to do is apologize to her when you see her next."

"What?! Why?"

"Because you just told our daughter that the young man that she's seeing is unsuitable for her!"

"That's because he _is_ -"

"Not anymore; the war is over and times are changing. Blood status is becoming less of an issue these days and if we want to stay where we are in society, we need to jump on that bandwagon, no matter what we may personally believe. The world is progressing forward, Atticus, and I refuse to be left behind."

He took a deep breath. "Okay; so what do I do?"

"Invite him over for dinner. Be _nice_ to him. And let Daphne alone; if she wants to be with him, she wants to be with him. You can't help who you love." She gave her husband a soft kiss and he sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll invite the boy over for dinner."

* * *

"Is she a nice girl, at least?" Molly asked.

"She's wonderful, mum," Ron said, smiling. "She's nice, she's funny, she's smart… you'll love her."

Molly, still wary over her son's choice of girlfriend, nodded. "Well, why don't you invite her over for dinner tomorrow night? I'd love to get to know her."

Ron beamed at that. "I will, mum. Thank you for giving her a chance!"

He kissed his mother's cheek and ran to the floo. Once the green flames had engulfed him, Molly heaved a sigh. "I don't know, Arthur. What if this isn't such a good idea?"

"Why? Because she's a Slytherin? Molly, you should know better than to judge someone from their Hogwarts house."

"Says you! You and Lucius Malfoy have hated each other from the get go. You were part of the reason our children never trusted a Slytherin!"

He nodded. "I know; and I made a mistake by stereotyping them all. But I've learned my lesson and I won't make the same mistake again. Lucius Malfoy and I may always have some animosity between us but I know now that not all Slytherins are necessarily evil. If anything, I'm proud of Ron for breaking away from that chain of prejudice. I think it'll be good for, not only the family, but for the rest of our world." He walked over to his wife and put his hands on her arms. "Give the girl a chance, Mollywobbles; she may surprise you."

"I hope you're right," she said.

* * *

 _Dinner with the Weasleys_

"So, Daphne, what are you going to do now that school is over?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I need to wait for my NEWT results but assuming that I did well enough, I'm aiming to become a Healer at St. Mungo's," she replied.

"A Healer, really? Sure you can stomach all the gore you might see?" George asked. Ron kicked him from under the table and George muttered a small "Ow" but Daphne only laughed.

"I have a stronger stomach than you might think," she said, smiling. "I used to shadow Madam Pomfrey during school so I'd see all the sports injuries from Quidditch. And… then, of course the war." She cleared her throat. "There's really nothing that makes my stomach queasy anymore."

"Well, I think that will come in very handy while you're at St. Mungo's," Arthur smiled.

"You know Hermione's a healer at St. Mungo's," Molly started. "Mum," Ron muttered, but she kept going. "She works in the Spell Damage Ward. Perhaps you'll be working with her while you're there."

Whatever Molly's plan was in bringing up Hermione backfired at Daphne beamed at what she said. "Oh I hope so; Hermione's so brilliant, it'd be wonderful to work with her! She's even lent me some of the books she read while she was in training. There's so much information in them, I'm not sure where to start but I can't wait to take a crack at them."

Ron smiled at that and kissed her temple. "Well, the good news is, if I ever get injured while out on a mission, I'll have my very own Healer at home to help me out."

Daphne rolled her eyes but leaned into Ron. "You just better come home _alive_ , Weasley," she said quietly.

"Yes ma'am," he replied.

* * *

"So what did you think of her?" Arthur asked his wife later that night.

Molly sighed. "I didn't think I'd like her, but I do. She's funny, she's polite, she even handled George's needling with ease."

"So, you like her?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes; I like her. I like her a lot."

Arthur smiled. "Me too."

* * *

 _Dinner with the Greengrasses_

Ron was incredibly uncomfortable. His dress robes were too tight, his back hurt from sitting so straight, and he felt like if he picked up his spoon wrong, he'd be hexed on the spot. Daphne was sitting next to him, looking beautiful as always, and watching him out of the corner of her eye. She could tell he was nervous, but he was hiding it well… sort of. Only she could see how he kept fiddling with his napkin.

"So, Ron," Alexandra began, "how is working with the Aurors?"

"Oh, it's great!" Ron said, trying to control his enthusiasm. "I mean, the paperwork isn't fun but the field work is."

She smiled and nodded. "And it pays well?"

"Mother!" Both Daphne and her younger sister Astoria said, horrified.

Ron blushed but nodded. "It pays the bills; I don't do it for the money, though. I do it because I enjoy it."

Alexandra nodded and returned to eating her meal. Daphne was clenching her fist and Ron was blushing in embarrassment while Atticus watched the pair, gaging their reactions. Thankfully, Astoria saved the day. "So, Ron, when does the Quidditch season start for Ginny?"

Sending her a thankful glance, he smiled. "Not until September. She's officially signed on to be a Chaser for the Harpies but she still has to go through training before she can properly play in a game."

Astoria nodded in understanding and continued peppering Ron about Quidditch questions, with Daphne jumping into the conversation as well while Atticus and Alexandra just watched. By the end of the meal, the tension had dissipated and Ron was feeling much more relaxed than when he had arrived.

When dessert was over, Daphne looked to her father. "May we be excused?"

He nodded. "You may."

She stood and took Ron's hand before looking at her sister. "Come on, Tori, let's go show him the mini Quidditch pitch!"

Astoria grinned and linked her arm with her sister. "You're going to love it, Ron. Daph and I used to fly out there all the time when we were kids."

As the trio walked out, Atticus stood and pulled his wife's chair out for him. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Did you see the way he was looking at Daphne?"

He nodded. "I did."

"He's totally smitten."

"I know, dear," he said. "I hate to admit it too, but… from what little I've seen, he's grown on me. I like him."

She nodded in agreement. "So do I."

* * *

 ** _P.S. I realize that Hogwarts gets out in June but for the sake of this story, all the older (i.e. seventh years) students left school early._**

 ** _Facecasts for the Greengrasses are on Pinterest._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Guess who didn't get a lick of homework done today... ME! Oops.**_

 _ **Anyway, I had a reviewer who pointed a couple things out that I'd like to comment on: 1) Harmony WILL be coming. I promise. I can't just jump into it because that would take away from the buildup that has to happen between Harry and Hermione. Just trust me on this, I've been making you wait for a reason. 2) I rated the story M for another specific reason: smut will be had in this story. Just not right now. Bear with me, okay? Thank you, guys.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 14:**

 _June 1999_

Harry and Hermione stood in a tight embrace in the middle of his drawing room. He had already said goodbye to the Weasleys and the rest of his friends; now, it was just him and Hermione. And saying goodbye to her was harder than he expected it to be.

"I'm gonna miss you," she said, quietly.

"I'm gonna miss you too," he replied, hugging her a little tighter.

"You better write to me as often as you can," she said.

He laughed. "Yes ma'am."

She sighed and let go of the hug, even though it killed her to do so. She smiled at him and brushed some hair out of his eyes. "You be safe out there, okay?"

He nodded. "I will; take good care of this place for me, will you?" Hermione would be staying in Harry's flat while he was gone. He asked her to simply housesit but both knew it was his way of letting her stay close to him while he was adventuring all over the world.

"You know I will," she smiled. She picked up his bag and handed it out to him. "You should get going; your portkey will run out soon." He nodded and put his bag on his back. "You sure you've packed everything?" she asked.

He laughed and nodded. "You triple checked my bag, Hermione. If anything, I think I _overpacked_."

"Well, there's no harm in being over prepared," she argued.

He laughed again and kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back, they both ignored the blush that was growing on both of their faces. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "See you around, Potter."

"See you around, Granger," he smirked, picking up the portkey that was sitting on his table. He pressed it and vanished and then Hermione was left alone.

* * *

 _12 June 1999_

 _Hermione,_

 _This place is amazing! You would love it here. The beach is called the Beach of the Cathedrals because the rock formations form arches that look like a cathedral. They're incredible to look at (and a little daunting, if I'm being honest). I'll be here for another few days then I'm off to Italy. I'll be sure to send you a postcard._

 _I hope St. Mungo's is treating you well. Give them hell if they're not._

 _Give my love to the Weasleys and your parents! And say hi to Melody for me!_

 _Write to you soon! Much love,_

 _Harry._

 _P.S. I miss you._

Hermione smiled at Harry's letter, ignoring the fluttering of her heart at his last line in the letter. A knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts and she rolled up the parchment while calling out "Come in!"

Healer Waters poked his head into her office and smiled at her. "Hey, the new trainee's here."

She smiled. "Great, send her in."

"She's on her way down," Healer Waters said. "Thank you again for letting her shadow you."  
"Well thank you for the opportunity," she said. "I'm honored that you think I'm a good enough Healer to be shadowed."

He smiled. "You're one of the best, Hermione; which is why it seemed fitting for the trainee to shadow only the best that St. Mungo's can offer." She blushed at his praise. "Oh, here she is," Healer Waters said.

Hermione stood and walked around her desk to greet the new trainee. When she saw who it was, her jaw dropped. "Daphne?"

Daphne smiled and gave Hermione a small wave. "Hey, Hermione."

"Oh, good so you've met already," Healer Waters mused.

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Yes, we know each other."

"Excellent, well then I'll let you get on with it, Hermione. Good luck, Miss Greengrass. I know you won't disappoint."

"Thank you, sir," she said, smiling as he walked out of Hermione's office. As soon as the door was closed, Daphne squealed and Hermione grinned, pulling her friend into a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to be my shadow?" Hermione asked, pulling out of the hug.

"I didn't know until I showed up this morning!" she replied. "But does it really matter? This is so exciting!"

Hermione laughed at her friend and nodded. "I suppose you're right." She grabbed her clipboard off her desk. "You ready to get started?"

"More than ready," the blonde replied as the two left Hermione's office.

* * *

 _16 June 1999_

 _Harry,_

 _You'll never believe who my shadow is: Daphne! I was worried it was going to be some kid who didn't listen to authority or someone older than me who'd hate that they'd have to take orders from someone half their age but instead, I get the best person possible! She's brilliant with the patients and handles criticism incredibly well! I think she's going to do just fine here._

 _How's Italy? Better yet, how's the_ **food** _? I bet it's incredible!_

 _Oh, I have to go! Just got a new patient._

 _Take care of yourself, Harry. Everyone sends their love._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione._

 _P.S. I miss you too._

Harry smiled at his letter and pocketed it, promising to answer her later. He walked out onto the balcony of his hotel and smiled at his view. From where he was in Rome, he had a clear view of the entire city, including the Coliseum. He'd be taking a tour of it in a little under an hour and was very excited. His smile fell a little, however, as he thought what a shame it was that Hermione was missing something like this.

He could imagine her reaction to this place. She'd probably pull out a guidebook and start spewing out facts about the city and the sights they would see. He'd laugh as she'd drag him into museum after museum and she'd groan as he'd make her sit down to eat. "There is so much to _see_ , Harry; we don't have time to eat!" she'd say.

He smiled to himself at that thought. _Maybe I'll bring you here, someday, Hermione_ , he thought. _You'd love it_.

His watch beeped and he grabbed his wand before heading out his hotel and to the Coliseum.

* * *

"So, how long are you planning to travel for?" Valerie asked.

Harry shrugged. "Until I want to go home, I suppose. I don't really have anything waiting for me back there."

Several days ago, Harry met a couple while touring the Vatican: Valerie and Michel Bouvier. Valerie was a French-Canadian writer and Michel was a French painter and, of course, were both wizards. The two had met back in the late '70's and instantly fell in love. Due to their versatile careers (and Michel's inheritance from his aristocratic family), they've been able to travel the world together while pursuing their passions choosing to live among muggles rather than the wizarding community due to their fascination with other cultures. Harry bumped into them while walking around the Vatican and they struck up a conversation with him; he quickly became good friends with the couple and had spent the rest of his time touring Italy with them.

"Don't you have a special girl waiting for you back home?" Michel asked.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "No; there's a girl and she's incredibly special but… I don't think she thinks of me like that."

"And why not? You're a wonderful young man, Harry," Valerie said. "Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"I'm flattered you think so, Valerie, but it's not that easy. She's my best friend; has been since we were eleven. Taking that to a higher level could… I just don't want to lose her as a friend if it doesn't work out like that."

"Oh, young love," Valerie said, looking to her husband. "Do you remember when we were that nervous around each other?"

He laughed and took her hand in his. "Yes, I do, my sweet. Yes, I do." He placed a soft kiss on her lips while Harry looked away to give them a moment of privacy. "Harry," Michel said, pulling the young wizard's attention back to the couple, "I understand your hesitation. But you never know what could happen until you just take a leap of faith. Don't be afraid of the truth; whether you're giving it or receiving it."

He smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"We got off topic," Valerie said, waving her hand and changing the subject. "I wanted to ask you where you were off to next?"

Harry shrugged. "I was thinking maybe Greece or Amsterdam or something. Why do you ask?"

The couple glanced to each other before smiling back at Harry. "We were just thinking that, perhaps, our time in Italy has come to a close and were thinking of travelling elsewhere. While we already have a location in mind, we were wondering if, perhaps, you'd like to join us on our journey?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Me? You want me to go with you?"

"We'd be delighted to have your company, Harry. But don't feel that you _have_ to join us. If you'd like to continue your own way, we'll completely understand and hope that we'll see you soon somewhere else."

It only took Harry less than a minute to make his decision. "I'd love to join you. I'm- thank you for inviting me."

Valerie reached over and squeezed his hand. "It will be a pleasure to travel with you, Harry. Now, what do you know about China?"

* * *

 _1 July 1999_

 _Hermione,_

 _We've finally arrived in India. China was spectacular- the Great Wall was_ **amazing** _\- and we spent some time in Mongolia but now we're onto our next adventure._

 _Gods, Hermione, I wish you could see this place. You'd probably hate it: it's hot, it smells, and there are cows_ **everywhere** _but it's worth it. The view of the Taj Mahal is incredible. We're going to take a tour of the place tomorrow. And the food is_ **fantastic** _._

 _Val and Michel have already gone to bed but I can't sleep so I figured I'd write to you instead. How are you? How's training with Daphne going? How's everyone else?_

 _That's great news about Arthur! It's about time the Ministry's recognized all the hard work he's put in there. He and Kingsley are going to do some great things; I'm sure of it. I'm happy for him. Tell Ginny that I'll definitely be there for her first game and tell Molly that yes, I'm eating plenty. I feel like she and Val would get along great considering they both love to feed me until I feel like I'm going to explode._

 _So, Astoria and Malfoy, huh? How's Daphne handling it? Better yet, how did Ron react about that? I bet he blew a gasket. Ha! I can only imagine his face! I'm sure it was priceless._

 _Alright, it's past two in the morning here. I should get to bed. Take care of yourself and I'll talk to you soon._

 _Much love,_

 _Harry._

 _P.S. I still miss you._

* * *

"I miss him," Hermione said. "I miss him a lot more than I thought I would."

"Well, you _are_ living in his flat," Melody said, writing something down in her notes. "I imagine that's part of the reason _why_ you miss him."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure you're right but it's more than that. I don't just miss his presence; I miss his smile, his laugh, his hugs, I miss him being a floo away. It's like I'm missing a part of _me_."

Melody raised an eyebrow and wrote something down. "What?" Hermione asked.

Melody shook her head. "Nothing; just thinking." She looked back up at Hermione and smiled. "Tell me more; what is it about him being gone that's been making you so sad?"

Hermione sighed. "I just- I could go to him about _anything_. Even if I wanted to just sit around and watch movies all day, he was the one I could do it with. Yes, I have my parents and my friends but it's not the same with them. With Harry, we didn't have to speak to understand each other; we could sit in silence for _hours_ and it'd be comfortable. He knows me better than anyone and… we became so close during our year on the run. I felt like if I lost him, I wouldn't be able to go on."

"Do you still feel like that?"

She thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes. But that's just the thing: he's not mine to lose. He never was."

"Maybe he is and you just don't want to admit it," Melody said. At Hermione's confused expression, she continued. "Hermione, I'm not going to tell you what I think because I don't want to plant ideas in your head; but I will say this: if you and Harry are as close as you say you are, and I have evidence that agrees with you, then maybe you two are closer than you realize."

"If you're suggesting that I might be in love with him, I already made that realization a while ago," Hermione said, playing with the pillow in her lap.

Melody raised her eyebrows at that. "Really? When did that happen?"

"A couple days after he left. I was laying in bed one night when I just broke down into tears because I felt like such an idiot. I should have told him how I felt before he left but I wasn't sure of my feelings at the time so I backed out. And I have _no_ idea how he feels about me in return so if I _had_ told him how I feel, what would that do to our friendship? He was just about to leave for a trip with no designated return date; how could I spring something like that onto him?" She sighed and wiped a couple tears away. "So I haven't said anything. I write to him and tell him about my life and how things are here and he writes to me and tells me about his adventures but he doesn't know how I feel. I don't know if I'll ever tell him."

"What? Why not?" Melody asked.

Hermione shrugged. "It's too late; I missed my window. Even if he _did_ feel the same for me, that doesn't mean he's still going to feel the same when he returns."

"You don't know that, Hermione. You don't know what he does or doesn't feel for you. But as your therapist and _your friend_ , I'm going to tell you that you need to tell him how you feel. As soon as he gets back, you tell him."

"But what if he doesn't feel the same?"

Melody sighed. "While I find that highly unlikely, I still think you should do it, no matter the outcome. It'd be better than wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life if you choose to stay silent." Seeing the hesitation in Hermione's eyes she set her clipboard down and looked Hermione right in the eye. "Okay, right now, I'm no longer your therapist; I'm your friend. And as your friend, I'm promising you that it's better to be honest and to just get what you're feeling off your chest. If you keep it hidden, it's going to backfire on you in the worst way possible and I don't want that for you. I'm sure you don't want that for yourself either. No matter the outcome, he'll appreciate you being honest with him in the end."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

 _12 July 1999_

 _Hermione,_

 _Val and Michel and I have split for the time being. They went off to Amsterdam to do some research for Val's new book while I decided to head farther south: down under to be exact._

 _I arrived in Sydney last night and, you'll be happy to know, I have bought a ticket to see a show at_ _ **the**_ _famous opera house. I'll mostly be checking out the beach areas while I'm here; seeing the sights in Europe has been fun but I miss being able to just relax on the beach for as long as I want so I intend to soak up as much sun as possible._

 _I'll be rejoining Val and Michel in France at the end of the month. In the meantime, I'm going to do some research on some other places I've been wanting to check out. Once I decide, I'll let you know where I'm going._

 _I hope you're well. Give everyone my love._

 _Much love,_

 _Harry._

 _P.S. Still miss you._

* * *

 _19 July 1999_

 _Harry,_

 _I'm glad you went to see a show at the Opera House. I expect full details on it in your next letter. As for your next destination, mum suggests St. Petersburg. Apparently, she took a trip there back in her University days. Personally, I think it's a great idea considering all the history that lies in that city but, if you're looking for something that won't make you feel like you're back in school, dad suggests Stonehenge. Either way, they're both great places to visit._

 _I'm doing pretty well. Work's keeping me busy, as usual, but I manage. Daphne, Ginny, Luna, Astoria, and I are doing a girls night out tomorrow. We'll see how long that lasts before we all end up back at my (technically, it's_ **yours** _) place and watch movies and pig out on junk food. But it'll be nice to get out for a night._

 _Be safe out there, Harry._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione._

 _P.S. Still miss you too._

* * *

 _24 July 1999_

 _Hermione,_

 _Tell your parents thank you for their suggestions. In the end, I chose St. Petersburg._

 **Merlin** _, you weren't kidding about all the history here! I swear, everywhere I turn, there's a new piece of history that I'm learning about. If school had been this interesting, I would have paid attention more!_

 _Anyway, Val and Michel pushed France back a couple days because Michel's sick and they'd rather he get better first before attempting to travel again. So, in the meantime, I'm going to Stonehenge after all! I'm leaving at the end of the week. And yes, I'll take lots of pictures._

 _Also, Hermione, you know the flat is just as much yours as it is mine. Do whatever you want there; I want you to feel at home. Just don't put any throw pillows on the couch. I mean it, Hermione, I better not come home to find throw pillows all around my flat. I_ **will** _throw them at you._

 _Much love,_

 _Harry._

 _P.S. Still miss you more._

* * *

 _31 July 1999_

 _Harry,_

 _Happy Birthday!_

 _Molly held a little celebration for Neville yesterday and we toasted to you. I think Molly misses your more than she lets on. I can see it sometimes when she thinks no one else is looking; she'll glance to your spot at the table and frown a little because you're not there._

 _Will you write to her, please? Just let her know how you're doing and where you are. I think it'll bring her spirits up a little bit._

 _Anyway, what are you doing for your birthday? I hope it's something amazing._

 _I miss you. I wish I could see you and tell you happy birthday in person but this will have to do. I hope you're having fun and eating great food and meeting lots of new people. I'm happy you've found people like the Bouviers to spend time with during your travels. I'm sure you have a million stories of the adventures you three went on._

 _I'm not sure where you're going next, but wherever you go, I hope it's amazing._

 _Much love,_

 _Hermione._

 _P.S. No pressure, but I wouldn't object to you coming back to London for a quick visit. I miss you._

* * *

 _3 August 1999_

Harry watched the young couple and smiled. The man was standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and let go of the woman's hand to get down on one knee. She looked at him shocked as he pulled out a small black box and opened it up to reveal a ring. Even though Harry didn't speak French, he didn't have to know it to know what the man was asking. He smiled when the woman nodded and applauded along with the small audience the couple had attracted as the man spun his new fiancé around, laughing.

"Ah, young love," Michel said. Harry turned to his friend and smiled at the dreamy look on his face. "It's always a wonderful thing to watch."

"I never pegged you to be a romanticist, Michel," Harry said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Michel shrugged. "While my personal passions lie in expressionism and the avant garde, I do enjoy a good case of romanticism every now and then." Harry laughed at that and nodded in understanding.

"Tell me, Harry," Michel said, "how are things going with your girl?"

Harry shook his head. "She's not my girl, Michel."

"But you want her to be," he said.

Harry nodded. "Yes; yes I do."

"Then what are you still doing here? You have a beautiful woman waiting for you back home! Go to her! Romance her! Win her heart and make her yours!"

"It's not that simple, Michel-"

"Because she's your best friend?"

He shook his head. "Because I'm not sure she feels the same way I do."

"And what exactly do you feel for her?"

Harry didn't hesitate to answer. "I love her. I think I have for a while; I was just too stupid to realize it then."

"We are all stupid in matters of love, my young friend."

Harry chuckled but there was no humor behind it. "But what if I missed my window? What if it's too late to tell her how I feel?"

"In my experience, it's never too late." He watched the hesitation in Harry's eyes and sighed. "Do you remember what I told you our last night in Italy?" Harry nodded. "I tend to believe that, in matters of the heart, honesty is always the best option. Even if she doesn't return your feelings- and she'd be mad not to- she'll appreciate that you were honest with her."

"I suppose you're right," Harry said.

"Let me tell you a secret, Harry: the artist is always right."

Harry laughed and smiled at Val as she joined the two of them at their table. "What are you two so happy about?"

"Nothing dear," Michel said, kissing her cheek. "I'm just telling Harry a few tricks of the trade."

"Oh, I see. Did he tell you that the artist was always right?" she asked Harry. He nodded. "Mhm, I thought so. Harry, let me elaborate on that: the artist is always right until the _wife_ tells him he's wrong."

The table was silent for a moment before both Michel and Harry burst out laughing so hard they were crying.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Facecasts of Michel and Val are on Pinterest as well as some of the sights Harry saw on his journey._**

 ** _Sorry I didn't expand on Harry's adventures; I wanted this chapter to focus more on the letters between him and Hermione more than anything._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: I'm so close to being done with my Art History class. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can get it done before Sunday (the final day of class). Also, happy Fourth of July weekend, my fellow Americans! Please be safe this weekend and be aware that your furry friends may be very distressed due to the fireworks sounds. Be sure to give them a hug and tell them everything's okay._**

 ** _Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, the facecasts for Liz and Josh Granger on the Pinterest board for this story have changed. I wasn't satisfied with the original ones I chose so I did some digging and found some that look more like the characters I have in my head._**

 ** _Oh, and SMUT ALERT! You've been warned..._**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

Chapter 15:

10 August 1999

It was weird being back home. Harry had only been gone a couple months but it felt like a lifetime; being back home in his flat almost felt foreign. However that may have been from all the added decorations to his flat that Hermione had added: pictures, curtains, even a few of Michel's paintings were hanging in various rooms. He wondered if she'd added those before or after he met the Bouviers.

The biggest change of all, however, were the throw pillows on the sofa. And they were colorful. "Damn it, Hermione," Harry said, unable to fight the smile that was growing on his lips. "You always were particularly stubborn."

Harry returned to his room and dropped his bag in his closet and began to change into fresh clothes. As he was buttoning up his shirt, he heard the front door close and heard some quiet humming. He smiled to himself as he realized that Hermione was home.

 _Home_ , he thought. _She's_ **my** _home_.

Quietly, Harry walked out of his room and followed the sound of humming that was coming from his best friend. He found her in the kitchen putting groceries away and smiled as she danced to the song she was humming. He waited until she put the last grocery away before choosing to make his presence known. "I thought I said no throw pillows," he said.

Hermione whipped around, her hand reaching for her wand and her eyes wide, when she realized who was standing in front of her. "HARRY!" she squealed, bounding towards him and into his open arms. He laughed and hugged her so tightly, her feet came off the ground; she didn't seem to mind, however, as she was too busy laughing in return. When he finally put her down, she began to pepper him with questions. "When did you get back? How long are you back for? How was your trip? What-"

"Hermione!" Harry said, laughing and putting his hand over her mouth. "I promise, I'll answer any and all of your questions but you have to slow down!"

She nodded, leading him to the drawing room and sitting down on the couch. "When did you get back?" she started with.

"About an hour ago. You'll have to forgive me if I seem a bit disoriented, I'm a bit jetlagged."

She laughed and nodded in understanding. "How was your trip? Did you bring the Bouviers with you?"

Harry smiled. "No, they decided to stay in France for a while. Val's in the final stages of writing her book and Paris is full of inspiration for her story so they're staying there until she's finished. As for the trip itself, gods, Hermione it was amazing. I learned so much and saw things I could only dream about seeing. The Beach of the Cathedrals was surreal to just stand under; those are natural rock formations and they just happened to form into an arch. Standing under one is like an existential experience just in itself. And the Vatican! Gods, that place was amazing!"

As Harry explained about his trip, Hermione couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Before he left, he seemed down, like he was missing something. Now that he had returned from his trip, he was more lively, more energetic, more excited about the world around him. As for her, she was just glad to have him home.

Before either of them knew it, Harry had been talking for over an hour about his trip and had nearly forgotten why he had come home early in the first place. But watching Hermione's smile grow as he talked about Val's ramblings when she was brainstorming reminded him that he had something he had to tell her.

"I'm glad you had such a good time, Harry. I think this trip was really good for you." Her smile fell a little as she spoke what was on her mind next. "Do you- do you know how long you'll be staying? Are you going to leave again?"

"That depends," Harry replied.

"On what?" she asked.

"On what happens next." He sighed and took Hermione's hands in his. "Hermione, I haven't been completely honest with you; I didn't come home just for a quick stop to recuperate. I have ulterior motives."

"Okay?" she said, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"Hermione, what I have to say isn't easy so please bear with me as I try to form this into words properly." She waited as he licked his lips and began to speak. "While I was gone, I did a lot of thinking. I thought about what I would do when I came back home and where would my life go after that. To be honest, I still don't have an answer to that question. But I did figure something else out: I figured out that I left to go look for something when, in fact, it was in front of me all along.

"I left to find peace and discover more about myself as a person. I've discovered that I love the beach, I'm much more of a picky eater than I thought I was, and I hate cannolis." Hermione laughed at that and he smiled. "I also discovered something else: I discovered that I was missing something incredibly important. I already had what I was looking for: you. I realized that I didn't need to travel the world to find out who I am. I know who I am; I'm Harry Potter, Gryffindor, Quidditch lover, beach obsessed, picky eater, and madly in love with my best friend.

"It's you, Hermione; it's always been you. I didn't come back to recuperate, I didn't come back to say hello to the Weasleys or to spend a night back in my own bed; I came back because I needed to tell you how I feel. I love you. And I hope to God that I'm not too late in telling you this."

Hermione had tears in her eyes and was biting her lip to keep from crying. Harry was watching her, waiting for her reaction but when she didn't respond right away, he began to shift uncomfortably. "Please say something," he said.

She sniffed and wiped away a few tears. "Well it's about Goddamn time, Potter," she said. And then she was kissing him; and he was kissing her back with everything he had in him. Her arms wrapped around his neck while he wrapped one hand around her waist and put the other behind her head to bring her impossibly closer to him. He could taste tears and wasn't sure if it was hers or his but he didn't care. He had finally told her how he felt and, gaging by her reaction, she felt the same way.

When they finally broke for air, she sniffled and rested her forehead against his. "I love you too, by the way."

He laughed and nodded. "I figured as much; still, it's good to hear."

He wiped some stray tears off her cheeks before kissing her again, more softly this time. She wasn't having any of it, though; she gripped his shirt in her fists and kissed him with far more passion than he was kissing with. He caught up quickly, though, and soon, she was straddling him on the couch, her hands in his hair, his hands running up and down her sides while he whispered "I love you" in between their kisses.

Somehow, in between their kissing, Harry led Hermione (or she led him; neither was quite sure) down the hall and into the bedroom where they began to fumble with each other's clothes. As Hermione worked on unbuttoning Harry's shirt, he kissed down her neck and her collarbone. She moaned as he kissed the spot between her neck and shoulder and nearly ripped the final buttons from his shirt off. Once he was shirtless, Harry wasted no time in undressing her, throwing her shirt and jeans into different areas of the room. Hermione walked backwards to the bed, dragging Harry with her until both fell onto the bed.

Harry threw off his trousers with some difficulty as Hermione refused to let her lips leave his. Finally, he was free of his trousers and the two were left in their underwear for a moment longer before, those too, were discarded. For a moment, they just stared at one another, their breathing being the only sound in the room.

Harry smiled and Hermione returned it before reaching up to his face and sliding his glasses off. "They're in the way," she said, giggling. He rolled his eyes and kissed her softly as she just barely managed to get his glasses on the bedside table and keep them from falling off. He began to run his hands up and down her bare sides and she arched her back at his touch.

His lips trailed down her cheek to her neck to her shoulders then down her collarbone and to her breasts. Hermione gasped as his lips tightened around her nipple and he began to suck and nip at her while his fingers trailed down her body and began to play with her clit.

She ran one hand through his hair while her free one lightly traced a line down his back. She smiled when she felt him shiver and continued to trace his back lightly with her fingers as he groaned and moved his lips up to her ear. "You are an evil, evil witch," he said.

She chuckled and shrugged. "I like to think of myself as devilishly clever," she said.

Harry looked at her and smirked. "You're devilishly something, I'll give you that."

She laughed but it was cut short as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She ran her hand down his chest and stroked his length. He moaned and put his hand over hers and began to ease into her. She dropped her head back onto the pillow as he entered her and she gripped his back with both hands as he began to thrust in and out of her.

He started off slowly but began to pick up the pace as they discovered each other's bodies. Hermione's quiet moans encouraged him to keep going as she ran her nails down his back. He continued to pick up the pace until they were both sweating and moaning in pleasure.

When she came, she cried his name out quietly and softly, far unlike what they were doing. He followed her a few thrusts later, groaning her name out then practically collapsing on top of her. He rested his weight on his arms on either side of her and rested his forehead against hers. They were breathless, sated, and deliriously happy.

If it had been up to either of them, they would have stayed there forever.

* * *

The early hours of the morning would find them tangled up in the sheets together, still naked, just enjoying each other's company. Hermione's head was lying on Harry's bare chest, his fingers running through her hair, the only sounds in the room was their breathing. Hermione smiled and nuzzled herself closer to Harry and he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Harry," she said.

"Yes, Hermione?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm glad you came home."

He returned her smile and kissed her lightly on the lips. "So am I." His smile fell a little, however, as he thought of something. "What is it?" Hermione asked.

He sighed. "I'm just thinking about what's next." Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. "If you had turned me down after my confession today, I probably would have gone back to Paris and then continued to travel with Michel and Val. Since you didn't, I'm obviously not going to leave; not when I finally have you." She smiled and snuggled closer to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm just wondering about my career, you know? I know I don't have to work but I'd like to."

"You could always work at the orphanage if you can't decide," Hermione suggested.

He nodded in agreement. "True; except... the thing is, I've already been offered a job."

She looked at him, confused. "Really? Where?"

Harry grabbed his wand off the bedside table and summoned a letter from his bag. He caught it in midair and handed it to Hermione. "Hogwarts," he replied.

She took the letter and sat up to read its contents:

 _7 August 1999_

 _Mr Potter._

 _I hope this letter finds you well. Miss Granger said that you were travelling; wherever you may be, I hope that you're enjoying yourself._

 _I'm writing to you in hopes that I might be able to persuade you into a position here at Hogwarts; more specifically for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. The class needs someone with a special knack to teach defensive spells and, from what I've heard from Professor Longbottom, you are just the person who would be able to fill that position._

 _I would greatly appreciate it if you'd at least consider my offer. As an added incentive, you could even coach the Gryffindor Quidditch team if you wanted._

 _I hope to hear from you soon._

 _Kindest regards,_

 _M. McGonagall._

It took Hermione a moment to string her thoughts together before she looked back to Harry. "You realize what she's asking you here."

He nodded, sitting up against the headboard. "Be the new- and possibly permanent- DADA professor."

"And you'd be able to coach the Quidditch team on the side. Harry, this is an incredible offer!"

"I know," he said.

She furrowed her brows. "Well, are you going to take the position?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to ask you first."

"I can't make this decision for you, Harry."

He nodded and ran his fingers up and down her bare back. "I know; but I wanted your advice. What do you think I should do?"

She bit her lip and looked around the room; when she found what she was looking for, she waved her hand and Harry's shirt flew into it. As she put it on and began to button it up, leaving the top two buttons undone, she turned around and faced him. "Harry, you managed to perform a corporeal patronus at the age of thirteen, succeeded to teach a group of students of different ages various defensive spells at fifteen, and killed a Dark Lord at seventeen. I think you can handle teaching a group of teenagers." She took his hand in hers and traced the I must not tell lies scar with her finger. "You have a wonderful knack for connecting to kids, Harry. Just look at how you handle Teddy or the kids at the orphanage. They all love you." She looked up at him and smiled. "I think this could be a really good opportunity for you."

"You think I should take it?"

She shrugged. "It's not my decision, it's yours. But I think it'd be good for you." When he didn't respond, she kept going. "How soon do you have to get back to her?"

"The fifteenth," he replied.

"You have five days to make a decision, Harry. You might want to bust a move on that."

* * *

 _15 August 1999_

 _Professor McGonagall,_

 _Thank you for your well wishes. I hope you are well, yourself._

 _As for your offer, it would be my pleasure to take the position of the new DADA professor (and I'd love to coach the Quidditch team, if the offer's still open). Thank you for the opportunity; I promise, I won't let you down._

 _See you September 1st._

 _Sincerely,_

 _H. Potter._

* * *

 ** _P.S. TA DA!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Guess who got an A in Art History! This gal! Woo hoo! Now I just have to survive one more month of Music Appreciation... Merlin, help me...**_

 _ **ANYWAY, in celebration, here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 16:**

 _Late August 1999_

"Cheers!" Ron said, raising his glass, "To Hogwarts' new DADA, Herbology, and Potions professors! May all three of you raise as much hell as possible!"

Harry and Neville raised their glasses and smiled while Draco simply muttered a cheers as Astoria rolled her eyes. In accepting Daphne to their group of friends, her younger sister was also welcomed with open arms. And in welcoming Astoria, her boyfriend was also welcomed… even if said boyfriend was Draco Malfoy.

Draco had kept his head down since his trial, taking his punishment with full understanding that it could have been _much_ worse. He intended to leave the country as soon as his probation was up but chose to stay after Astoria came into his life. He was hoping to continue to keep his head down but when McGonagall gave him the option for redemption in teaching at Hogwarts, his parents insisted he take the job to help clean up the Malfoy reputation.

Although he muttered about having to teach "incompetent idiots with no hope of learning how to properly brew a Pepper-Up potion," Hermione and Daphne suspected he was actually looking forward to the opportunity to flaunt his skills.

Due to some threatening from Daphne, Ron was forced to welcome Draco with open arms. Although the first couple meetings were awkward, the two found common ground with their passion for Quidditch; their girlfriends considered it a victory that they had yet to kill each other. As for Neville, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione, they were tired of the old rivalries which seemed so minor now after having gone through a war, so welcoming Draco into their group was a little easier for all parties involved.

"But please don't actually raise too much hell," Hermione said. "The last thing we need is another Marauders group running around as _professors_."

"Oh, Hermione, come on! That would be hilarious and you know it! Imagine the _Daily Prophet_ headlines!" Harry argued.

Hermione glared at him and he chuckled nervously, kissing her cheek. "Kidding!"

"So I take it that's a 'no' on experimental potions in my freetime, then," Draco said, then threw his hands up in surrender when Hermione turned to glare at him. "What? It's an honest question!"

Hermione just gave him a disappointed shake of her head and Ron laughed. " _Finally_! I'm not the only one she gives that look to now!"

"That is _not_ a victory, Weasley!" Draco exclaimed.

"It is for me," Ron said, proudly.

Hermione shook her head and threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Why do I even bother?"

"Welcome to my _life_ ," Ginny replied, looking to Daphne. "And to the rest of yours."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around Ron's waist, her engagement ring glimmering on her finger. "You know, I fail to see that as a bad thing."

"Good answer," he replied. She laughed again but it was cut short as he kissed her.

In order to give the couple some privacy, Hermione started a conversation with Neville. "So, I know Slughorn's retiring for good this time but I didn't think Sprout would do so for a while longer; are you taking over full time or what?."

Neville shrugged. "Apparently, she wants to spend more time researching foreign plants so I'll be interning with her for the first half of the school year then after the Christmas holidays, I'll be running the class while she 'evaluates.' By the end of the year, I'll be taking over full time."

"You don't want to do what she's doing? I mean, the research thing," Harry asked.

Neville shook his head. "I'd love to do some research later on in my life but right now, teaching at Hogwarts just seems like the right place for me. I just hope I can do it right."

Ginny smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're going to be great, Neville. You led a rebellion during the war _inside_ the school. I think you can handle several groups of teenagers learning to take care of some plants."

"Thanks, Gin," he smiled and wrapping his arm around her before looking back to Harry. "What about you, Harry? How do you feel teaching DADA?"

"Honestly, it hasn't really hit me yet; I'm sure it will by the Sorting."

"Are you nervous?" Ginny asked.

He shrugged. "A little; I'm more worried that the class will be too tame for those who went through the war."

"I think tame is just what they're going to be looking for," Ginny said. "Last year was boring as it was all lecture and very little spellwork. The only reason we all passed our NEWTs was _because_ of our experience in the war. The kids who are still there who went through the war will most likely welcome tame with open arms." Ginny glanced around the room before tightening her grip on Neville. "I still have nightmares from the final battle; Ron still jumps anytime there's a loud noise, both Neville and I struggle to sleep in the dark… your students will be experiencing the same thing. Some of them may not _want_ to work on spells that are loud or too bright or anything like that because it reminds them of the carnage they saw during the war and the final battle. If you ask me, Harry, I think tame is just what they need."

* * *

 _1 September 1999_

Neville, Harry, and Draco sat at the staff table and watched as the older students filed into the Great Hall to prepare for the Sorting. Harry felt Draco tense as the students began to look up at the table and whisper to themselves about the new additions to the faculty. Draco had been warned about the Howlers McGonagall was bound to receive at the news of Draco's position at the school but he still wasn't looking forward to the backlash.

As Astoria would be finishing her education abroad and couldn't be close to her boyfriend to support him, she had begged Neville and Harry to back Draco up when parents and the media would put him in a negative light. Both boys agreed.

"You okay?" Neville asked Draco.

He gave a small shake of his head but his face gave away nothing. "I just want to get this over with."

A few minutes later, the doors to the Great Hall opened and a large amount of first years walked in. Harry perked up immediately as he saw several familiar faces from the orphanage. When he made eye contact with one boy with bright brown eyes and curly blond hair, he smiled and gave an encouraging nod. The boy gave Harry a small wave in return.

"Friend of yours?" Draco asked.

"A boy from the orphanage," he answered, watching the first years look around the castle with excited and nervous eyes. "His name is Otto Chaplin; his parents died in a freak splinching accident several years ago. He was living in an orphanage in muggle London until Andromeda found him and brought him to Grimmauld Place."

"Andromeda… Andromeda Tonks?" Draco said.

Harry looked to Draco and saw that he was watching little Otto watch Deputy Headmaster Flitwick sit the Sorting Hat on the small stool and unroll the scroll with all the new student's names on it. "Yes," Harry answered. "She runs the orphanage with Luna Lovegood and Molly Weasley." When Draco didn't respond, Harry kept pushing. "Have you talked to her?"

Draco looked at Harry and furrowed his brows. "No; no, I haven't spoken to her in… forever."

"You're more than welcome to visit her at the orphanage. I think she'd like to see you."

Draco opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Flitwick beginning to call the names out. "Annabeth Addams!"

All in all, there were four children from the orphanage who joined Hogwarts this year: a little brunette named Tara Matthews- Ravenclaw, a lanky, tall, dusty blond named Phillip Arlington- also Ravenclaw, a mousy redhead girl named Gabriella Walker- Slytherin, and little Otto- Gryffindor.

After the Sorting, McGonagall made a quick speech, introducing the new faculty members- some students cheered when Neville and Harry stood up and, fortunately, no one jeered when Draco stood- then clapped her hands and the feast began.

Neville kept the conversation going throughout dinner and even got Draco to open up a bit about his lesson plans and the Quidditch tryouts that Harry would be moderating. By the end of the meal, Draco had visibly relaxed and all three boys were getting along remarkably well.

When dinner was over, the prefects led the first years off to their respective dorms while the professors left to their private quarters. Draco left Neville and Harry at the Great Hall entrance and wandered off to his room while the other two went to their respective offices to floo home.

When Harry walked into the Defense classroom, he smiled. He could do this; he'd taught defense before. The only difference, now, is that he'd be getting paid for it. He smiled at that thought and wandered up the stairs at the back of the room which led to his private office. He'd already decorated it, some: pictures of him and Hermione, some pictures of his travels, and a photo of his parents. He smiled at that one before flooing out of his office and returning home.

* * *

Harry fell back onto the mattress, his breathing heavy and his body covered in a light layer of sweat. Hermione, just as sweaty and breathless, crawled off him and laid on her stomach next to him. He smiled at her and placed a soft kiss on her lips and ran his fingers through her hair and down her bare back. "There's some kids from the orphanage at Hogwarts this year."

"How many?" she asked, waving her hand to open the window and let the cool night air into the room.

"Four: Tara and Phillip- both Ravenclaws, Gabby- Slytherin, and little Otto."

"What house is he in?" Hermione asked.

"Guess," he smirked.

She thought for a moment. "Hufflepuff."

Harry shook his head. "Gryffindor."

"Really?" She said, sitting up on her forearms. "I didn't see that coming."

"I didn't either, considering he's so quiet and mellow but, hey we've been wrong before. Remember Neville, first year?"

She chuckled and nodded. "Fair point." She watched as his eyes glazed over as he mindlessly ran his fingers along her spine. "Harry," she said.

"Hm?" he replied, distracted.

"You ready for tomorrow?"

He thought for a moment. "Yeah; I think I am."

"What's your first class in the morning?"

"Sixth years; Slytherin and Gryffindor," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well that'll be interesting."

He laughed and nodded. "We'll see how well they handle taking instruction from someone barely older than them."

Hermione scoffed. "You're Harry Freaking Potter; they'd listen to you read off your grocery list to them." She brushed some fringe out of his eyes and smiled. "You're going to be great, Harry. I know it."

He smiled at her and kissed her. Her hands began to run down his body and towards his length while he entwined his tongue with hers. They stopped talking as their bodies entwined once again.

* * *

 _2 September 1999_

The sixth years filed into the classroom, talking amongst themselves, curious about their new professor. Harry was in his office, watching the students wander in and find their seats. When the bell rang, he looked over the papers on his desk one last time before exiting his office and walking down the stairs, to his desk. "Good morning, class," he smiled. "I'm Professor Potter and I'll be teaching you Defense this year." He watched as a few students whispered to each other and he smirked. "Before we get started, do you have any questions for me?"

Every single hand in the room shot up and Harry chuckled. "Any questions about the _class_ before we begin?" Several hands went down but a few remained. Harry picked on a blonde Slytherin in front.

"Will we be learning how to conjure a Patronus in this class?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "That won't be taught until later in the term but, yes, you will be learning how to conjure a Patronus, if you don't already know how to do it." He looked around and picked a redhead boy- also Slytherin- sitting in the back. "Will we be learning how to control Fiendfyre?"

Harry suddenly had flashbacks of the Room of Requirement being set ablaze, Crabbe falling into the flames, the face of Voldemort appearing as Harry threw Ravenclaw's diadem into the blaze. He shook his head and stuttered through his response. "No; I'm afraid that's far too advanced of a spell, even for sixth and seventh years. Besides, only incredibly skilled wizards can cast the curse and control it; even I don't have that kind of knowledge." Swallowing, he picked on a small blonde- Gryffindor. "Will there be a duelling club this year?"

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Where did you hear that?"

She blushed and shrugged. "I heard Professor Longbottom mention it to Professor Malfoy as they were leaving the Great Hall this morning."

Harry pursed his lips. "I don't know anything about that but I'll ask Headmistress McGonagall and see what I can find out." She smiled and nodded.

Harry shook off his robes and placed them over the chair and rolled up his sleeves as he smiled at his class. "Now; who, here, has practiced nonverbal spells before?"

* * *

 _ **P.S. Daphne's ring is on Pinterest (link is on my profile).**_

 ** _Please review!_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: I'm on Twitter! Follow me: twitter dot com/bex_get**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 17:**

 _September 1999_

"I think it's a good idea," Harry said. "We haven't had a duelling club since Second Year with Lockhart and Snape."

"And look how that turned out," McGonagall argued.

"Lockhart was an idiot and Snape hated everyone," Draco argued. "It'd be different this time, you'd have the three of us running it." McGonagall raised her eyebrow.

"Look," Neville said, "I realize Draco and Harry and I don't have the cleanest track record but we're older now and we're _professors_. Our stupid rivalries from school are long gone and each of us are experienced in duels and defensive and offensive spells. This is about preparing the students for their future, not in levelling the field because we're holding grudges against each other. _Please,_ give us one lesson. If all hell breaks loose, the three of us will take full responsibility and the halls of Hogwarts will never see a duelling club ever again."

Draco and Harry nodded in agreement with Neville and McGonagall sighed. "Fine; _one_ lesson. If it goes well, they may continue; if not, _you're_ in charge of the cleanup."

"Yes ma'am," all three said in unison.

"Thank you, professor," Neville said. She waved them off and the three professors exited the Headmistress' office. "That went well," Neville mused as they reached the main floor.

"That was quite an argument you gave, Longbottom," Draco said. "You'd make one hell of a lawyer."

Neville chuckled. "While I'm flattered you think so, I think I'm happier here as a professor."

Draco shrugged. "Suit yourself; now, if you'll excuse me, I have to teach a group of second years how _not_ to blow up the Swelling Solution." He sighed and shook his head as we walked off to the dungeons.

Neville chuckled. "You know, I think he enjoys teaching more than he's willing to let on."

"Oh, I'm sure he does," Harry laughed. "He just has a reputation to hold up so he just has to _seem_ like he has a stick up his arse."

"I heard that!" Draco yelled, his voice echoing in the empty halls. Harry laughed and ran off in the direction of his office, Neville following close behind.

* * *

 _October 1999_

This didn't feel right; he shouldn't be here. He should turn back and return to castle right now before anyone knew he was here. But that nagging voice in the back of his head said, _Get on with it, you coward_. So he took a step forward and entered the house.

He looked around, in a mix between awe and uneasiness. He had heard stories of this place and the darkness it held here; he was glad to see that the house didn't seem to hold any dark artefacts in the entry or the drawing room. He assumed Potter had the place cleaned up before opening up the orphanage.

"Draco?" he heard a voice ask.

He turned around and found Granger standing in front of him, holding a blue haired toddler, with a curious look in her eye. "Granger."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He stumbled through his answer. "I- I, er… I came to see Andromeda."

She raised her eyebrows but didn't get a chance to respond as two young girls- twins- came barreling down the stairs, laughing and hitting each other with pillows. "Girls," Hermione said in a motherly tone causing the girls to stop dead in their tracks, "what have I said about pillow fights?"

The twins looked to each other and frowned. "Only have them in an isolated spot of the house," one girl said.

Hermione smiled. "Exactly; you remember what happened last time. Poor Kreacher was cleaning up feathers for hours."

The twins looked down at their feet and said in unison "Sorry, Miss 'Mione."

"That's quite alright," Hermione said smiling. "Just keep it in the drawing room, alright?"

The girls grinned and ran into the drawing room, hitting each other with the pillows again. Hermione nodded for Draco to follow her and she led him through the kitchen and into the garden in the back. "Andy, you have a visitor."

Andromeda looked up from the flower bed she was tending to and lifted the brim of her hat to get a good look at her visitor. Her eyes widened a bit as she recognized her nephew. He stood awkwardly, his hands in his pockets and shifting his weight from foot to foot. Hermione was watching him, curiosity in her eyes but staying silent, monitoring the situation; the toddler in her arms also watched in silence, not quite understanding the situation.

Andromeda took her gloves off and left them by the bucket of gardening tools on the ground and walked up to her nephew. She gave a quick nod to Hermione who returned the nod and walked back inside. Andromeda looked her nephew over and gave him a speculating look. "Hello, Draco."

"Hello, Andromeda," he said, his voice steady but quiet.

The two stood in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

"I- Potter said you were running the orphanage and- I- I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing here."

She nodded in understanding and sat on the porch swing. She gestured for Draco to sit next to her and he did so, his movements restricted. He sat, his back perfectly straight, his hands lying flat on his thighs, his feet flat on the ground. Andromeda compared his strict posture to her relaxed disposition and chuckled. He looked at her confused. "You can relax, Draco. No one's going to pop out from a corner and yell at you because your back isn't straight or because you're picking at your nails."

He gave a halfhearted smile and let his back relax a little. "Sorry; I suppose it's a nervous habit."

"Well, Merlin knows those etiquette classes never quite leave you. You're always secretly fearing you're going to be yelled at for crossing your legs wrong or something."

He chuckled and she gave him a small smile. "I know you said you don't know why you're here, but thank you for coming. It's good to see you."

His smile fell a little and he shifted in his seat so he could see her better. "Andromeda, I-"

"Andy, please. Andromeda's too formal."

"Andy, then," he said. "I- I just want to say that… I'm sorry for- for everything."

Andromeda's eyes softened and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Draco. You had nothing to do with _anything_ that's happened between me and my family or the deaths of my husband, daughter, and son-in-law."

"How can you say that?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes. "I was one of them; I saw what they were capable of. You should hate me simply because I was associated with the people who killed your loved ones."

She rolled her eyes. "All this talk about hatred; I've had more than enough of it to last three lifetimes. I don't hate you, Draco. You were a kid who got mixed up with the wrong people and was forced to make a choice. You made the wrong choice, so what. We've all made mistakes; the important thing is that you survived and you now have a chance to make up for those mistakes. And even if you _were_ directly affiliated with the deaths of my husband or Dora or Remus, I'd find a way to forgive you."

"Why?" he asked, his voice breaking.

"Because hatred shadows the good things I still have. I have a beautiful grandson who I love very dearly, an orphanage that I get to run and love all these children who have nowhere else to go, and a nephew who I finally have the pleasure of properly meeting." She looked out into the garden and sighed. "I'll miss my husband more than I'll ever be able to express. He was my soulmate, my partner in crime, my _person_. Dora was a part of me; she was stubborn as hell and refused to let anyone call her by her full name, but she was beautiful and brilliant and far braver than I could ever hope to be. As for Remus, he was so kind. I've never seen such kindness in a person. He was damaged, yes, but he was a good man. I'll miss him. I'll miss them all dearly and I wait for the day I'll be reunited with them. But I have a lot to do while I'm still here and I don't plan on wasting a second of it. You shouldn't either."

He shook his head. "I don't know how to do that; I don't know how to pick up the pieces and start over."

"You already have, Draco. But, if you'd like, I can help you, if you'll let me."

He gave her a small smile. "I'd like that."

She returned his smile and squeezed his shoulder. "Now, tell me, how's school going?"

* * *

 ** _Don't forget: Facecast for Andromeda Tonks is on the WCN Pinterest board. Link is on my profile._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They make me all happy and giddy like a little kid at Christmas! You guys are the best.**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 18:**

 _October 1999_

"I don't know, Daph," Hermione said, "what if this isn't such a good idea?"

"You need an owl don't you?"

"Well, yes, but what if Harry thinks I'm trying to replace Hedwig?"

"Hermione, it's been two years since Hedwig died. I think it's safe to say that the mourning time has passed. And you're not replacing Hedwig, you're just getting a new pet- or companion, if you will. Besides, it's just not practical, you _need_ an owl." She scratched the head of the Tawny owl she was looking at and moved closer to her friend. "What's this really about, Hermione?"

Hermione sighed. "It just seems like a big step, adopting an owl together."

"You already live together, Hermione; that, in itself, is a big step. What's wrong with having an owl together? Maybe it'll prepare you for parenthood," she waggled her eyebrows causing Hermione to laugh and shake her head. "That won't be happening for a while, thank you very much," she said.

Daphne smiled at her friend and took her hands in her own. "Back to the subject at hand: Harry already said it's okay, Hermione. So stop resisting and just adopt a damn bird already!"

Hermione laughed and nodded. The two girls wandered the shop a while longer before Hermione smiled at a large Great Horned Owl. He was brown with black and white feathers spotting his body with two large, beautiful, orange eyes that stared right back at her. She lifted her fingers to him, asking permission to pet him, and he nipped her fingers gently in response. He closed his eyes and quietly hooted in pleasure as Hermione scratched his head and behind his ears.

"Wow, he's beautiful," Daphne said, admiring the owl from behind Hermione.

The brunette turned to her friend and smiled. "I think I've found our owl."

* * *

Harry was sitting at the staff table Monday morning, reading the paper, when a large Great Horned Owl flew into the Great Hall and landed right in front of Harry. Folding his paper and placing it on the table, Harry furrowed his brows and looked at the owl in confusion.

"Friend of yours?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged and reached for the letter tied to the owl's foot. He gave the owl a piece of ham from his plate and the owl ate it, happily, as he read the letter.

 _25 October 1999_

 _Harry,_

 _Meet Cicero; our new owl!_

 _Daphne helped me name him (it's from Julius Caesar). He's incredibly well mannered and gets along with Crookshanks scarily well. I'm not kidding, I've walked into the drawing room and found them sitting on the windowsill, just staring at each other. It's a little creepy._

 _Anyway, since you're staying at Hogwarts for the week for the Quidditch match, I told him to stay with you for a couple days so you two could get acquainted. Something tells me you'll be fast friends._

 _I love you._

 _Hermione._

 _P.S. Be warned, Cicero likes to sit on shoulders. I think it makes him feel more powerful. We should have named him Caesar if that's the case._

Harry chuckled and looked back to the owl who was watching him curiously. "Hello, Cicero," he said, running his fingers along the bird's feathers. Cicero flapped his wings and flew the short distance from the table onto Harry's shoulder. When Harry looked up to find the bird staring down at him, he swallowed. "Alright, this is a bit intimidating."

Neville and Draco burst into laughter at that.

* * *

 _Late October 1999_

Daphne appeared in the drawing room, a rush of green flames coming from the fireplace, tears running down her face. "Oh my God, Daphne, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, rushing to her friend. She sat the blonde down on the sofa and summoned a box of Kleenex from the loo.

Daphne took one and wiped her eyes before speaking. "I- I think I'm p- pregnant."

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "What makes you say that?"

Daphne sniffled. "I've been sick for three days straight, I've gained weight, and- and I'm late. I haven't bled in six weeks. At first, I thought it was stress from work and planning the wedding but when I looked at my calendar this morning I realized that I'm late."

"Okay;" Hermione said, already working out what to do next in her head, "have you taken a test?"

Daphne shook her head. "I've been too scared to."

"Okay, that's understandable," Hermione replied. "Are you okay taking a test with me? I'll cast it for you and everything."

Daphne nodded. "Would you please?"

Hermione nodded and pulled her wand out. She muttered a spell quietly and waved her wand over Daphne's abdomen. When she was done, she placed her wand on the coffee table and took Daphne's hands in her own. "Okay, we have to wait five minutes and then we'll know the results."

Daphne sniffed and nodded. Hermione wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close. "Daph, I want you to know, no matter what the result is: everything will be okay. I promise."

"How do you know?" Daphne asked, her voice small and showing the obvious fear she was feeling.

"Because I'm not going to let you go through this alone. None of us will; us Gryffindors are similar to you Slytherins in that aspect: we protect what's ours."

Daphne chuckled a little and snuggled closer to Hermione, looking for as much comfort as she could get. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What are best friends for," Hermione replied.

Daphne's grip on Hermione tightened and she fought back the tears she knew were coming. Many of Daphne's friends fled the country after the war, leaving Daphne alone. To have found someone she could count on again and trust that they wouldn't desert her, made her nearly break down into tears again. But she held them back; for now. The two sat in silence for the rest of the five minutes, Hermione soothingly rubbing her hand along Daphne's back. When Hermione's wand buzzed, the girls sat up and Daphne held her breath as Hermione watched for the result.

When a blue light appeared over the wand, Hermione's breath caught and she could feel Daphne freeze next to her. She looked to her friend and saw the tears running down her face. "Oh, Daphne," Hermione said.

Daphne fell back into Hermione's arms, sobbing. Unsure of what to say, Hermione just held onto her friend and let her cry, knowing she wouldn't be able to think straight until she calmed down. When the tears finally slowed, Daphne spoke. "I don't know what to do."

"You need to tell Ron," Hermione answered.

Daphne's eyes widened in horror. "Oh gods; I don't know how he's going to react. What if he blames me?" The tears began to fall again as she spoke. "What if he _leaves_?"

Hermione wiped some tears away and handed her friend a Kleenex. "He's not going to blame you, Daph, and he sure as _hell_ isn't going to leave. You're engaged, for heaven's sake! He was already planning on spending the rest of his life with you; I'm sure kids were part of that plan. It just happened a little sooner than expected."

Daphne sniffed. "I'm scared," she said, her voice small. Suddenly, the confident and beautiful woman Hermione had grown to know and love turned into a young girl, terrified of what the future held for her. Hermione squeezed her hand. "I know you're scared, Daph. It's okay to be; this is a big thing that's happening and I know it's not exactly expected. But I promise you, Ron is _not_ going to leave; if anything, he'll probably be thrilled that you're pregnant."

"But, how do I hide this? We weren't planning on getting married until July; I'd be ready to give birth at any moment by then! If my parents found out, they'd flip! Oh gods, Molly would have a heart attack!"

"Just move the wedding up," Hermione answered simply. "Just explain that you don't want to wait and you want to get married as soon as possible. You can set the date for Christmas or even New Year's Eve. That way, you could just say that you got pregnant on the honeymoon."

Daphne could see the logic behind Hermione's reasoning and nodded. "I could do that."

"Before you even begin to think about that, however, you _need_ to tell Ron."

Daphne nodded in agreement and placed a hand over her abdomen. "You really think he'll be excited?"

Hermione nodded. "I think it's going to be the best news he's heard all day."

* * *

 _Later that evening_

"Ron?" Daphne said, walking into their bedroom.

"Hm?" he asked, turning down the covers on the bed.

"Can I talk to you about something?" she said, her voice unsure.

Noticing the change in her voice, he looked to Daphne and saw the hesitation in her eyes. "Sure, love." He sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "What's up?"

She sat next to him and unconsciously put a hand on her abdomen. "How would you feel about getting married on Christmas?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind it; I thought we were thinking of a July wedding, though? Did you really want to push it back another five months?"

She shook her head. "I mean Christmas of this year."

He furrowed his brows. "That's less than a month away; why the rush? I mean, I love you and I want to marry you as soon as possible but that's cutting it a bit close, don't you think?"

She frowned and looked at the comforter on the bed. "I know it's last minute but… well, we won't really have a lot of time to get married in July."

"What do you mean?" he asked. When she didn't reply, he lifted her chin with his finger to make her look at him. "Daphne, what are you talking about? Why don't we have time?"

A tear ran down her face and she sniffed. "I- we need to get married soon because… because I'm pregnant." She began to cry and removed her face from his hold to cover it with her hands.

Ron stared at her in disbelief as she cried into her hands and sobbed apology after apology to him. When he finally got his wits together, he removed her hands from her face and wiped the tears away. "Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

"B- because we have to p- push the wedding up and this wasn't supposed to happen for a few more years and I- I just- I'm so scared, Ron," she sobbed again.

Ron pulled her close to him and held her, running his hand up and down her back soothingly. "Don't apologize, Daph; this isn't something you need to apologize for. If anything, I'm excited! I'm gonna be a dad! We're gonna be _parents_! This is great!"

She sniffed and looked up at him with watery eyes. "Really?"

He kissed her lightly and caressed her face with his hands. "Yes, really. This is new and scary and, frankly, intimidating but we can do it. Know why? 'Cause you are going to be one hell of a mother; if anything, I'm going to muck up as a dad."

She shook her head. "You're going to be a great father, Ron. I know you will."

He smiled at her and kissed her again. "I'll write mum first thing in the morning and tell her we want to move the wedding up."

Daphne's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Don't tell her I'm pregnant!"

"Why not?" he furrowed his brows.

"I just… think about the world I grew up in. A baby out of wedlock is _heinous_. I'd be disgraced, my parents would turn their backs on me- on _us_ , _Astoria_ would be ruined! We can't let anyone know until after we're married."

Ron nodded. He had made his opinion on the pureblood rules and regulations clear in the past but he understood and respected that Daphne _had_ grown up in that world and would never really leave it, no matter how much she wanted to on certain days. "Okay, we won't tell anyone until after we're married."

She sniffed again and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Ron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, as if protecting her from the unknown. "Hermione knows," Daphne said, quietly. "She was with me when I found out."

Ron kissed the top of her head and held her closer. "I'm glad you weren't alone when you found out." They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "It'll be okay, Daph. We can do this together." She broke into tears again and held onto Ron for dear life as she cried while Ron rubbed her back soothingly and held her close.

* * *

 ** _P.S. A picture of what I imagine Cicero looks like is on the WCN Pinterest board. Link on my profile._**

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 ** _Please review!_**


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: Hi friends! Sorry it's been so long. Summer classes are coming to a close in about a week and I have a couple auditions I'm preparing for so this got put on the back burner. Anyway, thank you all for your lovely reviews. They make my day!**_

 _ **Oh, and smut alert at the end of the chapter.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 19:**

 _November 1999_

The group of sixth and seventh year students walked into the Great Hall, talking amongst themselves, noticing the three handsome professors standing on a platform, watching the students file in. Once everyone (including a small handful of professors who had come to observe) was in the Hall, Draco waved his wand and closed the large doors while Neville jumped off the platform and faced the students. He smiled. "Welcome to the Duelling Club. Before we begin, there are some rules we'd like to go over with you."

"Number one," Harry said, "there will be _no_ spells cast that could cause harm to your fellow classmates. What we're teaching you here today is simply defensive and offensive spells. _Nothing_ more."

"Number two," Neville continued, "you will be paired off with different people throughout the course of the lesson in order to strengthen your skills against various opponents so do _not_ expect to be paired with your friend for the entirety of this. The whole point is for you to learn and you can't do that if you're constantly working with the same partner; you'll miss the mistakes you're bound to make."

"Number three," Draco finished, "if you step _one foot_ out of line, the lesson will end, you will be given detention for _at least_ a week, and the duelling club will cease to exist forever. We chose to start off with the higher years because we expect you to be more mature and understand how important this is. If today's lesson goes well, we will be able to slowly bring in the lower years and work with them on duelling. If it doesn't, well, I've already made it quite clear what will happen if that's the case. Do you understand me?"

There was a small muttering amongst the students. "I'm sorry, what was that?" Draco said, more firmly.

"Yes, Professor Malfoy," the students said in unison.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, who were standing in the back, looked to each other with an impressed look on their faces. Draco had grown quite a bit from his Hogwarts days; it was clear the students respected him. They might have feared him a bit too but Draco seemed to think that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Much better," Draco said, looking to Neville. "Professor Longbottom, you may begin."

Neville nodded and looked back to the students as Harry and Draco faced each other. "We'll start off the lesson with an example. For those of you who don't know, Professor Potter worked with the Aurors for about a year after the war before choosing to come be a professor here at Hogwarts, while Professor Malfoy happens to be a very talented dueller." Neither Draco or Harry reacted to Neville's statement. They didn't want to bring attention to Draco's actions in the war and seemed relieved when the students didn't blink at Neville's words either. "To top it off, both Professors Potter and Malfoy were rivals back in their school days; let's see if that rivalry still stands."

As Harry and Draco faced each other and shook their hands, no one noticed Hermione and Ginny sneaking in through the Great Hall doors and sitting next to Professor McGonagall in the back.

"Scared, Potter?" Draco asked, smirking.

Harry returned the smirk. "You wish."

Neville chuckled and watched as the two professors walked away from one another. "Wands at the ready," he said, waiting a moment. "FIRE!"

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand to Draco.

Draco blocked the spell with a shield and sent a silent spell towards Harry. Harry ducked out of the way of the spell and watched it vanish as it hit a nearby wall. Harry jumped back to his feet and threw a disarming charm towards Draco who deflected it easily.

"Rictusempra!" Draco exclaimed.

"Oh, low blow!" Harry yelled as he threw up a shield charm. "Aguamenti!"

"WHAT!" Draco exclaimed, ducking out of the line of fire but still getting splashed with water. "That was cruel, Potter!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this not your speed, Malfoy? I can tone it down for you, if you'd like!" Harry taunted.

"I'll show you how to tone it down," Draco muttered. He threw a silent spell towards Harry and caught his fellow professor by surprise as he was smacked with _Petrificus Totalus_. Harry fell back and hit the floor as Draco stood over him, wand pointed at his chest. "Was that too toned down for you, Potter?"

Neville laughed and applauded, turning back to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have just witnessed the end to the Potter-Malfoy rivalry!"

As the audience applauded, Draco released Harry from the spell and helped him stand up. "I have to admit, Malfoy," Harry said, dusting off his trousers, "that was good. I didn't see that coming."

Draco smirked. "You're not so bad, yourself, Potter." He extended his hand out to Harry. "Good duel."

Harry took Draco's hand and shook it, smiling. "Good duel."

A loud wolf whistle from the back of the room caught their attention and they looked to see Ginny cheering for them as Hermione buried her face into her hands. "Kiss him!" Ginny yelled, causing both Hermione and Professor McGonagall to break into hysterical laughter.

Harry and Draco took several steps back from one another, causing McGonagall and Hermione to laugh even _harder_. Draco rolled his eyes and pulled a couple students up on the platform and began to give them instructions in an attempt to bring everyone's attention back to the Duelling Club. Harry wandered off the platform and to the back of the hall, smiling at Hermione. She stood and walked towards his open arms, pulling him into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head and led her back to where Ginny was sitting. Hermione released her hold on Harry so he could give Ginny a quick hug. "Shouldn't both of you be at work?"

Ginny shook her head. "It's a by-week for us."

Hermione shrugged. "I'm on my lunch break; I do have some news for you about Christmas, though."

Harry's eyebrows rose and nodded. "Okay, follow me," he said, taking Hermione's hand in his.

"We'll be back," Hermione told Ginny.

"No you won't," Ginny smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry led her out of the Great Hall. They walked the halls quickly together, fortunately not running into any students, until they reached Harry's office. He closed the door and turned back to Hermione and smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. She sighed happily into the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair as his hands trailed down her back.

When they broke for air, he smiled at her. "I missed you."

She laughed. "You just saw me this morning!"

"It's been a long time since this morning. I was going through Hermione withdrawals."

She nodded, chuckling quietly. "Well, I missed you too."

He kissed her again before pulling back to look at her. "So, what's this news you have regarding Christmas?"

She grinned. "I got the time off!" Harry smiled and picked her up, excitedly. "Harry! Put me down!" she exclaimed.

He did as she said but not before pulling her lips into another passionate kiss. "So, when should we leave?"

"I was thinking Christmas Day," Hermione replied, leaning on Harry's desk. "That way we'll still be able to go to Ron and Daphne's wedding Christmas Eve, I'll just do the gift exchange with my parents early, and we'll leave first thing in the morning Christmas Day. How's that sound?"

Harry nodded. "Everyone returns the seventh, but classes don't resume until the tenth so that gives us a couple extra days before I have to come back here and you have to return to work. I think that'll be just fine."

Hermione grinned. "Then it's settled. Now, come here, I haven't kissed you enough."

Harry laughed and did as he was told and the young couple stopped talking as they snogged in an empty room like two students.

* * *

 _24 December 1999_

Daphne looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked every part the classic bride she had always dreamed of: her dress was covered in lace, including the sleeves (to make her mother happy) and her hair was wrapped up in a curly chignon with the veil tucked tightly in her hair while the necklace Ron gave her last Christmas was once again resting around her neck. She looked beautiful.

She turned to appraise herself from the side and noticed the small bump that was starting to grow. She rested her hand over it and sighed. "Just a few more hours, little one," she said, quietly. "Then I won't have to keep you a secret anymore."

There was a soft knock at her door. "Come in!" She called.

Hermione poked her head in and smiled. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to vomit," Daphne said. "And what's worse, is I don't know if it's nerves or this blasted morning sickness."

Hermione laughed and spread Daphne's veil over her shoulders. "You're going to be fine, Daph, I promise. But just to be safe, I brought you this." Hermione pulled a small vial from her pocket and handed it to Daphne. "It's a potion that reduces nausea. It should help you get through the night without vomiting on anyone."

Daphne threw the potion back and handed the vial to Hermione, making a disgusted face. "That tastes horrible."

"I never said it would taste good," Hermione laughed. "Only that it would ease your nausea."

Daphne shrugged at that and looked back at her reflection in the mirror. "Can you see the bump?"

Hermione looked at her from the side. "Only if you're looking for it."

Daphne sighed. "I think my mum suspects that I'm pregnant."

"Really? Why's that?"

"When we told her we wanted to move the wedding up, she looked at me suspiciously, as if she _knew_ there was an underlying reason why we wanted to rush to get married. Ever since then, she's been watching me like a hawk, trying to figure out if it's true or not. I've been so paranoid that she's going to find out, I've only been wearing loose fitting clothing to try and hide the bump."

"Daphne, the bump is barely noticeable. If anything, it looks like you just had a big lunch. But, if you're worried, I have an idea."

"What is it?" Daphne asked.

Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered a small incantation, pointing her wand at Daphne. A small flash of light appeared out of Hermione's wand and then it was gone. "There," Hermione said, pocketing her wand. "Now the only person who will see the bump is you and me."

"What did you do?" Daphne asked, looking back in the mirror.

"I put a glamour on the bump. No one else will see it and the glamour won't wear off until you take the dress off once you get home. That'll keep you safe for the night."

Daphne threw her arms around Hermione's neck and pulled her into a tight hug. "You're the best! Thank you!"

Hermione laughed and hugged her friend in return. Another knock at the door forced the two girls to pull apart as Astoria stuck her head in. "We're ready, Daph."

Hermione nodded. "Okay, well, I'll go find my seat." She gave Daphne one last hug and said "You look beautiful," before leaving the room. Astoria handed Daphne her bouquet then the two sisters walked out of the room and out onto the Burrow property where Atticus was waiting.

The ceremony was quick but heartfelt and for some, emotional . Both Molly and Alexandra were sobbing by the end and poor Astoria was stuck next to them as she had to endure the sniffling and crying coming from the women on both sides of her. When the ceremony was over, she couldn't get away fast enough and practically ran after her sister as she and Ron walked back up the aisle as husband and wife.

The reception went off without a hitch. Harry made everyone laugh with his best man speech and Astoria caused both Molly and Alexandra to start crying all over again with her heartfelt speech to her sister. And while Ron gently fed Daphne a piece of wedding cake, she shoved a handful right into his face causing George and Charlie to fall out of their chairs because they were laughing so hard. And thanks to some sleight of hand work by Hermione, Daphne was able to drink muggle sparkling cider instead of champagne, keeping her mother's suspicions at bay.

By the time the reception was halfway through, most of the guests were either slow dancing on the dance floor, talking with one another, or had already left. Harry and Hermione were one of the couples on the dance floor, dancing in small circles, their foreheads touching. Harry was quietly humming the song that was playing to Hermione while she closed her eyes and just listened to the sound of his voice. As they danced, it just became the two of them; the rest of the world faded away. Hermione sighed, happily, and nuzzled her nose against Harry's. She could've stayed in his embrace forever.

But, all too soon, the song ended and the world came back into focus for the both of them. The couple looked to each other and smiled. "Ready to go home?" Harry asked.

She nodded and he took her hand, leading her to the newlyweds to say goodbye. "We're gonna head out, mate," Harry said, approaching Ron.

Ron smiled and nodded, pulling Harry into a hug. "Thanks for coming, mate. We'll see you once we get back."

Hermione pulled Daphne into a tight hug. "Congratulations, Daph. Now you just have to brace yourself for motherhood."

Daphne laughed and nodded, pulling out of the hug. "Now comes the hard part."

Hermione smiled and squeezed her friend's hands. "You're going to be a wonderful mother, Daph. I know it."

Daphne smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Hermione. For everything."

"You're welcome. I'll call you once Harry and I get back from our trip."

Daphne nodded and she hugged Harry goodbye as Hermione congratulated Ron and said goodbye to him as well. After saying some other goodbyes to their remaining friends, the couple walked out of the wedding, hand in hand.

* * *

As Harry began to undress from the day, he was completely unaware of the way Hermione was tiptoeing into the bathroom to change. She took off her dress and hung it up before looking back at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a dark blue satin lingerie piece with cuts right below the bust to show _just_ enough skin that Hermione didn't feel like a harlot. Her shyness of being around Harry naked may have faded but that didn't mean she was comfortable with the whole barely there lingerie thing. Satisfied in her outfit of choice for the evening, she began to take down her hair. Once her hair was released from its updo, she tousled her hair to bring some volume back to her slightly deflated mane (Harry mentioned to her, once, that he liked her hair when it was wild). She quickly brushed her teeth, then readjusted her bust to give a little more cleavage, then she was ready.

When she reopened the bathroom door, she found Harry turning down the covers on the bed. "Hey, I found Crookshanks sitting on the dirty laundry again-" he stopped speaking as he looked up at Hermione. She could feel herself blushing as Harry's eyes scanned over her, stopping at her bust twice, but she forced herself to stay confident. Harry had seen her naked before; what made this any different?

Harry, on the other hand, could feel his mouth water and could already feel himself becoming aroused just by _looking_ at Hermione. Gods, this woman was going to kill him; but he didn't seem to mind one bit. "You- you look amazing."

Hermione swallowed and gave him a nervous smile. "Think of it as a different kind of Christmas present."

"I think this is the best present you've given me, yet," he said, his eyes falling back to her breasts.

Hermione stood a little taller and walked around the bed towards Harry. He met her halfway and pulled her close, kissing her lips passionately. She moaned into his mouth and melted in his embrace as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry's hands trailed down her back down to her bum and he squeezed, causing her to squeak. He chuckled against her lips but didn't break the kiss.

One of her hands tangled itself into his hair while the other trailed its way down his chest and under his shirt. He gasped as her cold fingers touched his bare skin and Hermione took the opportunity to meet her tongue with his. As their tongues battled for control, Harry began to move them backwards onto the bed while Hermione began to relieve him of his clothes.

His shirt was the first to be removed, followed by his pajama bottoms while Harry pushed the lingerie up Hermione's body, stopping at her waist as he realized she was missing something. "No knickers?" he asked, noticing that he was touching bare skin.

She nodded, her breathing heavy. "Easier access," she said.

He gave her a feral smile and nipped at the base of her neck. "You are an amazing woman."

Her only reply was the gasp that escaped her lips as Harry's fingers slipped inside of her and began to play with her clit. The gasp turned into a moan as he began to thrust his fingers in and out of her while he lazily kissed all over her: her neck, her lips, her collarbone, her breasts, anywhere he could reach with his lips. Her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly as he continued to please her but just when she was on the edge of her climax, he stopped.

She made a quiet whining sound and Harry chuckled, looking at her. "Patience, Hermione. Good things come to those who wait."

"Now is _not_ the time to get poetic with me, Potter," she growled.

He smirked and bit her bottom lip. "I like it when you're needy," he said, sliding the lingerie over her head and tossing it somewhere in the room.

She groaned as he put his lips on her taut nipple and dug her nails into his shoulders. "You're going to be the death of me," she said.

"Oh, but it will be a blissful death, indeed," he said, licking the underside of her breast.

"Harry, _please_ ," she begged.

Harry, clearly just as aroused as she was, finally answered her plea by resting himself over her and entering her with one thrust. She moaned as they became one and let him take control as he thrust in and out of her, at first slow, then picking up speed. Her nails dragged down Harry's back as their bodies found a rhythm that was satisfying to both of them.

As he pounded into her, Harry's hand made it's way down her body to her clit and began to play with it to help her move to her climax. She threw her head back against the bed and moaned loudly as her back arched into Harry, trying to bring their bodies as close together as possible. Harry brought his lips to hers and kissed her with everything he had in him.

She came a few minutes later, moaning into Harry's mouth as her body released from the buildup of tension that Harry had built in her. Harry followed her two thrusts later, calling her name as he came into her.

Harry lowered himself onto Hermione, keeping his weight on his arms and still inside of her, despite the softening of his length. He placed soft kisses along her neck and jawline as their breathing slowed and their bodies relaxed. When he gained some strength back, Harry looked to Hermione and smiled at her. She returned the smile and wiped some sweaty hair off his forehead. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, love," he said, placing another kiss against her lips.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Daphne's wedding dress is on the WCN Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Hi friends! So, remember a couple chapters ago where I said I had a Twitter?**_

 _ **Yeah, about that... I no longer have said Twitter. I just got really impatient with it and deleted it within the first week of having it. So, if you go to find me on there and you can't, that's why.**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 20:**

 _Christmas Day 1999_

Harry hadn't told Hermione where he wanted to take her for their holiday trip but she imagined it was one of the places he travelled to during his adventure in the summer. What she hadn't expected was to arrive in a hotel in Paris, France with a view of the Eiffel Tower right in front of them. "Oh," she said, in awe. "This is… Harry, this is incredible."

He smiled at her and took her by the hand as he checked them into the hotel then led her to their room. He let Hermione into the room first and smiled as he watched her reaction. "Oh my God, Harry. This is amazing!"

"I knew you'd like it," he smiled, tipping the bellboy who had brought their luggage up and closing the door once he had left. The hotel room Harry had booked was a 5 star hotel in Paris right on the Seine, with a king size bed, a small sitting area, a large master bath, and a balcony with a small eating area on it. Hermione was currently on the balcony, looking at the view, grinning from ear to ear.

Harry smiled at her and felt his heart swell as he watched her face light up. In that moment, he had never felt more happy that she was his; that he was the reason she was smiling like this. He walked up behind her and placed both hands on her waist, kissing her temple. She leaned into his embrace and sighed. "I can't get over how beautiful this view is," she said.

"I think my view is better," Harry replied.

Hermione laughed and turned around in his embrace. "Very smooth, Potter."

He shrugged. "I thought it was pretty good." She chuckled and kissed him sweetly. This kiss was nothing like the ones they shared the night before; this was softer, more tender, expressing the love they had for each other without words.

Their kiss was broken, however, when a wolf whistle sounded below. The couple looked over the edge of the balcony and saw another couple smiling back at them. "Michel! Val!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hello, my young friend!" Michel said. "Welcome back to Paris!"

Harry grinned. "Stay there; we'll be right down!"

He took Hermione's hand and led her out of the hotel room and down onto the street where Michel and Val were waiting. Michel and Harry gave each other a quick hug before Val took over and pulled Harry into a hug so tight, it'd give Molly's bone crushing hugs a run for their money. "It's good to see you too, Val," Harry said, as she released her hold on him.

She smiled at him then at Hermione as Harry took her hand. "Val, Michel, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend: Hermione."

Both Val and Michel's smiles grew at Harry's introduction. Michel took Hermione's free hand and kissed the back of it. "So this is the famous Hermione; we heard a great deal about you from Harry over the summer. I'm sorry to say, his tales were not all true; you're even more enchanting in person than he led us to believe."

Hermione blushed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bouvier. Harry told me a lot about the both of you in his letters."

Val grinned and pulled Hermione into a hug- surprising the brunette, for a moment- before laughing. "All good things, I hope," she said, pulling out of the hug and looking at Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "Nothing but."

Val winked at Harry before looking back to Hermione. "Well it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, finally; I must insist you call us Val and Michel, however; Mr. and Mrs. Bouvier reminds me far too much of my in-laws."

Michel laughed. "You know you love my mother, dear. Even if she is a bit overbearing at times."

Val rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement," she said, and Michel laughed again. Val returned her attention to the young couple in front of her and smiled. "We got off topic again. Do you two have any plans for the day?"

The young couple looked to each other and shook their heads. "Harry refused to tell me where we were going so I didn't have time to plan an itinerary."

Michel chuckled and smiled at his wife. "She sounds like you, dear."

Val smiled at Hermione. "Well, lucky for you, Harry did let us know that you were coming so I had a little time to plan out an itinerary of my own. I'd be more than happy to share it with you."

Hermione's face lit up at that and she nodded. "That would be wonderful, if it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all." Val waved her hand and a piece of parchment appeared in her hand. She gave it to Hermione who immediately began to read it with fervor. Harry looked over it and laughed. "Damn; and I thought Hermione was detailed."

Hermione looked up from the parchment to glare at her boyfriend. "There is nothing wrong with being prepared for anything and everything, Harry."

He threw his hands up in the air in a form of surrender. "I never said it was a bad thing! I just said it was detailed!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and began discussing the itinerary with Val while Michel chuckled. "What?" Harry asked,

"On the scale of saves, that was about a six," Michel replied, smirking.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I admit, that wasn't my best; usually my saves are much stronger. Closer to the ten area."

Michel laughed and patted Harry on the back. "Oh, Harry, you're young. You've got quite a long ways to go before you reach the tens."

Harry laughed at that but was cut short when the two women caught their attention, smiling. "If you're done corrupting poor Harry," Val said, "we have a museum to see."

Harry glanced at Hermione and saw that she was trying to resist jumping up and down in excitement. He smiled. "Lead the way, ladies!"

* * *

"Harry, listen to this: 'The Louvre began as a fortress by Philip II in the 12th century. Remnants of the fortress still exist in the crypt below the museum. Although the building saw many changes over the years, it did not become a museum until the French Revolution in May 1791.'" Harry smiled as Hermione continued to read off the museum pamphlet to him, happy that she was enjoying herself.

Michel and Val were about an exhibit ahead of them but Val would consistently come back and discuss certain art works with Hermione that would leave the women excited and thirsting for more knowledge. Both Harry and Michel simply laughed as they watched the women grow closer by the hour with just their intellectual discussions, alone. Both men were sure that by the end of the trip, the two would be as thick as thieves.

The two women led the men through the museum, discussing facts with each other and sharing their thoughts with their respective partners (when the men couldn't escape to a different exhibit). By the time they finished up at the museum, half the day was gone and a light rain had begun to fall. As the two couples stood at the doors and watched the rain fall, Val dug into her purse and pulled out two umbrellas while Michel kept watch to make sure no one was looking.

Val handed a red umbrella to Harry and Hermione while giving the black one to her husband. Harry looked confused as to where the umbrellas came from while Hermione just smirked. "Undetectable extension charm?" she asked.

Val smiled and nodded. "Quite a wonderful thing, that charm. Makes packing for trips so much easier."

"Or harder if you're an overpacker," Michel muttered.

Val glared at her husband but he simply laughed and kissed her cheek lightly. "What do you say we take these kids to our cafe?"

Val rolled her eyes at her husband before smiling at Hermione and Harry. "We know a great little cafe right down the street where we can grab lunch."

Harry smiled. "Sounds great."

During lunch, the table was full of laughs as each couple shared stories of each other's adventures. Michel nearly fell out of his chair when Harry told him the story of saving Hermione from the troll in their first year, which led to the blooming of their friendship.

"And just think, you'd have never been friends if they hadn't come to your rescue," Michel said.

Hermione laughed. "True; and in return, I've been saving his arse everyday since!"

Harry laughed and kissed Hermione's temple. "I admit, having a Healer at home would've been handy had I stuck with the Aurors."

Hermione squeezed his knee. "I'm just thankful that I don't have to worry about you coming home bloodied and beat up or worse. I'd rather you come home exhausted from trying to control a huge group of kids any day."

"Oh, I mean to ask you about that," Val said. "How's teaching going?"

Harry smiled. "It's going really well; I think I've finally found my niche. The kids are so attentive and they're excited every time they come into class. I was worried the material was going to be a bit too tame in the beginning but I think it's doing them some good. I had them working on the Patronus charm before the end of the term and more than half of the class mastered it." He shrugged. "I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon."

Hermione smiled as Harry's eyes lit up and she took his hand in hers and squeezed. For as long as she's known Harry, he had struggled to find a proper place to fit in. Even among the wizarding world, he still stuck out because he was so famous. For him to have finally found his place in the world meant more than Hermione could express. She was glad to see him so happy and comfortable.

Val smiled and nodded in understanding. "I'm glad you've found your passion, Harry. Merlin knows not all of us find that so easily; it took me years before I realized that my talents and passions lied in writing."

"Speaking of which, when does your book get published?" Harry asked.

"Early March, I believe."

"What's it about?" Hermione asked.

Val's smile grew. "The adventures of a painter and writer who travel the world together."

Hermione smiled and glanced to Michel, who was hiding his smile behind his drink. She looked back to Val. "So it's your story."

Harry was surprised when he saw Val blush; that had to be the first time he'd ever seen anything make this woman bashful. Val nodded. "Yes, it's our story; the characters are fictional and the adventures are a bit exaggerated but yes, it's about Michel and I."

Hermione's smile grew at that. "Will it only be released to the wizard population or will you release it to muggles as well?"

"It'll be released to both," Val answered. "My publisher has connections to a muggle publishing company so it'll come out in both worlds around the same time."

"Well, I look forward to reading it," Hermione said.

"Thank you," Val replied.

After lunch, the group spent the rest of the day wandering the city, despite the rain that was drizzling throughout the day. The late afternoon found them in a park near the Eiffel Tower; Val and Michel were sitting on a bench and talking while Harry and Hermione were wandering closer to the tower, the red umbrella sitting above their heads. Harry's arm was wrapped around Hermione's waist as she gestured with her hands while she talked animatedly about some fact or other regarding the Tower. As they walked, Michel watched them, cocking his head to the side as a small smile grew on his lips.

"What are you thinking?" Val said in a voice he knew all too well.

He looked back to his wife and smirked. "Nothing special."

She raised an eyebrow. "We've been married over twenty years, Michel; I know all your looks and what they mean; and I've seen the look on your face before. You're getting another idea for a painting, aren't you?"

He laughed and kissed her on the lips tenderly. "I should know by now that I can't keep anything from you. Yes, I have an idea for a painting."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with our young friends, would it?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Perhaps," he smiled, looking back to the young couple. Harry had closed and hooked the umbrella on Hermione's bag, allowing his hands to be free as he caressed her face and kissed her softly. Michel looked back to his wife and saw a sparkle in her eyes. "You already know what it'll be, don't you?"

She smirked. "I have a fair idea."

Michel chuckled. "Nothing ever gets past you, dear. Perhaps that's why I adore you so much."

"Well, I should hope there'd be other reasons but I'll accept that," she said, causing her husband to laugh again.

* * *

 _New Year's Eve 1999_

"How do you think Hermione's holding up?" Harry asked, adjusting his tie.

As it was New Year's Eve, Val and Michel booked dinner for the four of them at a restaurant just a block away from the Eiffel Tower. They would eat dinner at the restaurant, then join a small group of people with special access for a rooftop party as they awaited the beginning of the new year. Val had kicked Harry out of his and Hermione's hotel room so she could help Hermione get ready while Harry went to Val and Michel's flat to get ready there.

Michel chuckled. "If Val got her way- which she always does- our Hermione might be suffering through Val making her picture perfect. I may be the painter, but Val is quite the artist when it comes to hair and makeup. I sometimes wonder if she missed her calling as a beautician."

Harry laughed. "Well, for Val's sake, I just hope Hermione's not giving her too much of a hard time."

* * *

Back at the hotel, Val was pinning Hermione's hair back in a low bun while Hermione told stories of her childhood before Hogwarts. "My first burst of accidental magic was when I was about three years old, I think. Some kids at Daycare were bullying me and I was crying, then had this uncontrollable sneeze that, when I did sneeze, the kids were suddenly doused with water that came out of nowhere. It was a pretty good form of revenge, if I do say so myself."

Val laughed and put the last bobby pin in Hermione's hair. "I'm sure that taught them a lesson. I find it hard to believe someone as sweet as you was bullied, once. How could anyone be mean to you?"

Hermione shrugged. "Because, as a child, I was different and the kids always picked on the 'different' one. It didn't stop when I got to Hogwarts, either. I was always known as the swotty bookworm or know-it-all or, my personal favorite, 'mudblood.'" She sighed and shook her head, ignoring the look Val was giving her. "It got better over the years; I got good at ignoring all the snide remarks and found my confidence in being a 'know-it-all.' The kid who used to call me a mudblood apologized and we've made our peace and Harry loves me despite my 'swottiness.' So, I'm okay."

Val squeezed Hermione's shoulders and sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione; I'm sorry you were so misunderstood as a child and tormented during your formative years. If it's any consolation, though, I think you are an incredible young woman and wise beyond your years. I wish I had been as perceptive when I was your age; it would've saved me a lot of time and heartache." Hermione placed her hand over Val's and squeezed and Val smiled. "You know something? You are different; but in the best way possible. You don't take shite from anyone, you pride yourself in your brilliance, and you helped save the world. You're quite the talented young woman, Hermione; don't ever let anyone tell you different." She played with a couple of Hermione's curls before speaking again. "You're going to change the world, someday, Hermione. I can feel it."

Hermione smiled and felt her eyes well with tears but forced them back down. "Thank you, Val. That means a lot."

Val smiled and gave Hermione a tight hug. When they pulled out of their embrace, Val clapped her hands together. "Alright, let's get you dressed."

Val had taken Hermione shopping a couple days prior to find dresses for the New Year's Eve dinner. Val had picked a dress that Hermione had called 'modern Hollywood:' it was coffee colored with a sequined belt that laid below the bust, and had a deep v-neck with criss-cross straps in the back. From the moment Hermione saw it on Val, she knew it was perfect.

As for Hermione, her choice was much simpler and she had almost turned it down, fearing she wouldn't be able to pull it off but Val convinced her otherwise. The top half was covered in gold sequins then changed into a soft white fabric at the waist. Once Hermione was dressed, Val gaped at her. "What?" Hermione asked, self-conscious.

"I think we're in the wrong country; suddenly, I'm in the presence of the Greek goddess Athena!"

Hermione blushed and laughed. "We should probably go; the poor boys have been waiting long enough."

Val smirked at Hermione's subject change but conceded. The two grabbed their cloaks then walked out the hotel room to celebrate New Year's Eve with their significant others.

* * *

Harry and Michel were already sitting at the table, chatting and drinking when Val and Hermione walked in. Michel was the first to perk up when he noticed his wife walk in and grinned as he saw her. Harry glanced in the same direction and his jaw nearly dropped as he looked at Hermione. It was like the Yule Ball all over again; except this time he was the lucky man who got to call her his date. He watched her blush at his reaction to her appearance and it took every amount of self control he had not to kiss her passionately in the restaurant. Instead, he simply pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her temple. "You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and blushed. "Thank you."

Harry pulled a chair out for her and helped Hermione sit before returning to his own seat. The conversation was full of laughs throughout dinner as the two couples swapped stories and thoughts about everything and anything.

"So, we have some news for you two," Val said, taking Michel's hand. Harry and Hermione looked at the two expectantly and waited. Michel grinned and spoke. "We've decided that it's high time we find a place to properly settle down and have a proper home to return to after our travels instead of just renting a place."

"We'll be moving to London and living there full time at the end of January," Val finished. "I've already talked to my publisher and there won't be any issues with my location once my book is released and Michel can paint pretty much anywhere."

Harry and Hermione grinned. "That's fantastic!" Harry exclaimed. "Oh you two are going to love London; I can't wait for you to meet the Weasleys too. Something tells me you and Molly are going to get along great, Val!"

Hermione laughed and squeezed Harry's hand. "I think that was 'Harry' for we're very excited to have you two so close by."

Harry blushed and Val and Michel burst out laughing.

An hour later, the two couples were on the roof of the restaurant, celebrating the new year with other patrons. There was drinking and dancing as laughter filled the air. Harry, thanks to some dancing lessons from Michel, spun Hermione around the dance floor with ease. They danced and kissed and laughed until the countdown to midnight began. As everyone around them was counting down in French, Hermione just smiled and watched as everyone awaited the new year. When the countdown reached three, Harry turned Hermione's face to his and kissed her passionately and holding her tight. They didn't have to worry about attracting attention as just seconds later, everyone else at the party was doing the same.

Hermione wrapped one arm around Harry's neck and ran her free hand through his hair as they held onto each other tightly and kissed each other with everything they had. When they finally broke for air, they rested their foreheads together and Harry smiled. "Happy New Year, Hermione."

"Happy New Year, Harry," she smiled.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Huge thank you to my beta Almostgalen._**

 ** _Val and Hermione's dresses and pictures of the Louvre museum are on the WCN Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. My life's been a bit hectic with summer classes ending and the Fall semester starting soon. And on top of that, I have TWO auditions this weekend. Send me some good vibes in hopes that I don't overexhaust (is that a word?) myself.**_

 _ **Thank you for all your kind words and patience. I hope this is worth the wait.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 21:**

 _February 2000_

Hermione was snuggled close to Harry in their bed, Crookshanks at the foot of it, purring away happily, while Harry went over his lesson plan for the coming week. At Hermione's happy sigh, he looked down at her and smiled, brushing some curls behind her ear. She looked so peaceful and happy as she slept, curled up next to him; he never wanted the moment to end. He wanted every night to be like this and every morning, he wanted to wake up next to her and come home to her humming to herself in the kitchen; he wanted all of her for the rest of his life.

And in that moment, he decided he'd never let her go.

* * *

As soon as Hermione left for work the next morning, Harry apparated to the Granger's house. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and knocked on the front door. Liz opened up the door and furrowed her brows. "Harry? What are you doing here? Not that it's not a pleasure to see you, it is; I'm just a bit confused."

Harry gave her a small smile and shrugged. "I was wondering if I could talk to you and Josh about something."

"Of course," Liz answered, opening up the door further for him so Harry could come inside and led him to her and Josh's home office. "Josh, Harry's here."

"Harry?" Josh said, looking up from the mail he was organizing. He smiled when he saw his daughter's boyfriend walk into the room. "Hello, Harry; this is quite a surprise."

"I hope I'm not coming at a bad time," Harry said, sitting down.

Liz shook her head. "Not at all. What is it you wanted to talk to us about?" she said, sitting on the arm of Josh's chair.

Harry took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. "Sorry; I'm trying to find the right way to say this. This isn't exactly something that's taught in school." He swallowed and looked Hermione's parents in the eyes. "I would like your permission to ask for Hermione's hand in marriage. Or your blessing- whichever is the more appropriate term."

Liz's face immediately lit up as she grinned while Josh did his best to remain stoic, although a small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Yes, absolutely," Liz answered.

Josh looked to his wife, surprised. "What? That's it? I don't get a say in this?"

Liz looked to her husband and raised an eyebrow. "Would your answer be any different?"

"Well, no but-"

"Then it's settled;" she looked back to Harry, "Harry, it would be an honor to have you join our family."

Josh rolled his eyes and stood to shake Harry's hand. "You see how much say I get around here; be prepared: that'll be the rest of your life."

Harry laughed and nodded. "I think I can handle it."

"Good man," Josh smiled. "Take care of my baby girl, Harry."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied before being enveloped in a hug by Liz. He hugged her back, smiling like a fool.

* * *

Harry wandered his vault, looking amongst the various jewelry items that covered the floor and shelves. After making amends with the goblins for destroying the bank during the war, Harry combined all the accounts he had- Black, Potter, and even some of what Dumbledore left him- into one large vault, making it so that everything was in one location.

In doing so, he found that both the Potter and Black families kept a lot of old jewelry around, most likely for posterity's sake. Fortunately for Harry, that made ring shopping a lot easier when he could just pick something that once belonged to his family. He liked the idea of giving Hermione a ring that once belonged to someone in his family. It made it seem more personal; like he was giving her a part of himself.

"Mr. Potter, while you're here, I was wondering if I may bring your attention to some documents we found pertaining to your inheritance," the goblin Ragnok said, entering the vault.

Harry looked up from the ring he had been inspecting and nodded. "Yes, of course." Harry grabbed the small array of rings he found in the Potter vault and pocketed them, intending to choose from them later. He followed Ragnok out of the vault chambers and back to the main floor into a small office off the lobby. Ragnok closed the door and laid some files out on the table for Harry to read. "As you have hired me to be your financial advisor, I took it upon myself to triple check your records and finances to assure that everything is in it's rightful place," Ragnok said.

"And is it?" Harry asked, scanning through the documents.

"Yes, almost all of it is; except a weird anomaly that only appeared this morning." Ragnok flipped the page Harry was looking at and shuffled through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Until this morning, this information had never appeared anywhere else in the files."

"Is that a bad thing?" Harry asked, getting nervous.

Ragnok shook his head. "No; it's rare but not something that we haven't seen before. Usually, when information like that shows up randomly in files, it means that a charm has been lifted and the information that was blocked under that charm can now be accessed. Why this charm was lifted now, I'm afraid I don't have the answers. I can only assume that the charm was placed in the first place for your protection and, now that it has lifted, you have access to everything that charm was hiding."

Harry looked back down to the file and read what was in front of him, his eyes widening with every word. He looked back to Ragnok, stuttering as he tried to speak. "Ragnok, this can't be right. I can't own all of this."

Ragnok nodded. "You do; everything that lies in that file belongs to you as you are the only living Potter heir; for now, at least." Ragnok waved his hand and a key appeared in his hand. "This is the key. As of this moment, it's yours, now and forever. Congratulations."

* * *

Harry stood in front of the grand manor, and swallowed. The manor was his, the grounds were his, the name was his; all of this belonged to him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Steeling his nerves, he unlocked the front door with the key Ragnok gave him and entered the grand house. The place was massive and looked like something out of a Jane Austen novel. The foyer was grand in scale, not to mention the staircase that looked like someone was about to have their Cinderella moment any second. As Harry looked around the entry, a small pop sounded next to him and he jumped as he found a small house elf- wearing a bright yellow apron- looking at him with large blue eyes. "Er, hello," Harry said.

The elf grinned. "Hello, Mr. Potter. I am Dahlia, the head elf here at Potter Manor. Welcome home, sir."

"I have house elves?" he asked, already fearing Hermione's reaction when he told her.

Dahlia nodded happily. "Yes sir; we have served the Potter house for many generations. After Master James' and Mistress Lily's deaths, we feared we'd never be able to properly serve the house of Potter again; but here we are."

"Er, where exactly is here? And why am I only finding out about all this now?"

"You're in Potter Manor, of course! Your family's ancient and noble home. As for why you are here, well, I don't think I am the best elf to answer that question. There is someone who can answer it for you, however. Come, come. I'll show you!"

Dahlia happily wandered out of the foyer and Harry had no choice but to follow her. She gave him a small tour as she led him through the house. "This is the piano room. Mistress Euphemia used to play the piano and sing all the time! The halls of this grand house were once filled with such beautiful music; sadly, they have been quiet for some time since her passing."

"Euphemia; that's my grandmother, right?"

Dahlia nodded. "Yes sir. Quite a wonderful woman, she was. All of us elves miss her dearly." Dahlia was silent for a moment and Harry felt a certain need to comfort her but didn't get the chance as she perked up once they reached a large room that looked like a study of sorts. There was a large desk in the center of the room and all around it were shelves of books and scrolls. In the far corner was a large fireplace that looked like it could fit the entire Weasley family in it. But it wasn't the fireplace that caught Harry's eye; it was the grand portrait above that made his heart swell. In the portrait, James and Lily Potter stood tall and proud, dressed in elegant robes and smiling down at him.

Harry walked to the painting in a daze, unaware that Dahlia had quietly left the room to leave her master alone with his deceased parents. "Mum?" Harry said. "Dad?"

"Hello, Harry," Lily said, her smile growing. James' smile also grew as he looked at his son.

Harry could feel tears well up in his eyes. "I- I don't understand. W- what is this place? H- how can you be here?"

"This was my childhood home," James answered. "This would have been where you would have grown up, had it not been for the war. As for our painting, the elves had it made after our deaths so we could always reside in the Potter home; it was the only thing they could do so we would not be forgotten."

"I'd never forget you," Harry said. "But I don't understand. Why am I only finding out about this now?"

It was Lily's turn to speak. "When we went into hiding in Godric's Hollow, we wanted to keep this place safe, if not for us to return to it than at least for you. There's also many priceless artifacts in this house; the last thing we wanted was Death Eaters or Voldemort to come hunting it down and tearing the place apart as they looked for artifacts they could use for dark purposes. We placed a charm over the house and on any documents that pertained to it; to anyone who came by the place, they would suddenly feel a strong need to turn around and not look back. As for the documents, they would just be hidden in plain sight; no matter who looked at them, they'd only see what they wanted to see: finances, wills, etc. We agreed that if we did not live, we wanted you to have everything, including the Potter home; except at the time we placed the charm on the house and documents, it shouldn't have lifted until your twenty-first birthday but it seems the charm has lifted early. That might be a fault on our part."

"And by our part, she means mine since I was the one who cast the charm," James said, looking to his wife nervously. "Sorry, Lily."

Lily rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her son. "I suppose it doesn't matter now; the important thing is that you're home now."

Harry wiped away a few tears and sniffed. "I- sorry; this is a lot to take in. H- how come the place isn't falling apart or is covered in layers and layers of dust?" he asked, trying to distract himself from the overload of information he was getting.

"We told the elves to keep the place in good shape during our absence. In the case of our deaths, and yours, they'd automatically be released from their duties but until that day, they serve the House of Potter happily," James replied.

"I wanted them to watch over you," Lily continued, "but we decided against it, thinking if anything happened to us, you'd be in Sirius' good hands. So much for that plan," she muttered.

James squeezed her shoulder and shrugged. "We can't focus on that; the important thing is that you're home now. Assuming you'd like to stay here, of course."

"I- I don't know what I think right now. This is more than I anticipated," Harry replied, still dazed.

"Take your time, Harry. We'll understand if you don't want any of this; but I hope that you'll at least consider it," James said.

* * *

"A manor?!" Hermione exclaimed. "You have a manor?!"

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Yeah; and it looks like something right out of a Jane Austen novel complete with house elves and everything."

Hermione bristled. "House elves?"

"They've served the Potter family for centuries, Hermione. I even asked the head elf if they'd ever been offered freedom or if they'd prefer it. She was adamant that she and the other elves stay at the manor until their dying day. It's more a matter of loyalty rather than a matter of obligation."

Hermione sighed, choosing to fight that battle later. She sat down next to him on the sofa and rested her hand on his back. "So, now what?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know; is the right thing to move into the house and live there full time or do I sell it and everything in it?"

"Why would you sell it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know; just seemed like an available option, I guess." He looked to Hermione. "What would you do?"

She took a deep breath. "I can't tell you what I'd do because I don't know; but I do know this: Harry, since you were a child, you've wanted a place to belong and to call home. Hogwarts was the beginning of that but it wasn't everything; you still had to return to the Dursley's every summer and while you did have the Weasleys, you've always felt like the odd one out, even with your surrogate family." She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think this is exactly what you want; you're just scared to take it because you're worried you'll lose it. And I understand that. But you don't have anything to fear anymore; you don't have anymore temporary homes, no more cupboards under the stairs, no more feeling lost in the world. You'd finally have a home; a real home. One that belonged to your parents and your grandparents and one that you can start fresh in. You could start the next generation of Potters in that house and be proud knowing it would stand another several hundred years. I think what you've been waiting your whole life for has finally been placed in your lap. I can't tell you what to do, Harry; it's your choice. But I don't think this is something you should give up."

He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Just promise me something, no matter my decision on the matter."

"Anything," she promised.

"Stay with me."

She caressed his face with her free hand and kissed his lips lightly. "Always," she whispered.

* * *

 _Late February 2000_

"Okay, so we've narrowed it down to three. Now we just have to pick the right one," Val said, looking at the three rings lying on the counter. Harry watched with fascination as Val and Michel studied the rings he had laid out for them with such detail, he wasn't sure he hadn't taken the rings to jewelry experts.

"The ruby is charming and fitting for part of Hermione's personality but it just doesn't strike me as an engagement ring," Michel said. "It feels too Christmas-y."

"Hm, I think you're right," Val said, moving the ring aside. "So that leaves the the simple diamond or the one with sapphires. Harry, come here." Harry did as we was told and stood between his friends. "This final decision needs to be up to you. It is going to stay on her finger for the rest of her life so you should be the one to decide."

Harry looked at the rings and hummed in thought. One was a simple gold band with a diamond sitting right in the middle; simple, yet classy, as Val had said. The other was a thick white gold band with a square diamond in the middle and the band had diamonds and sapphires alternating around it; it was this one that Harry reached for. Both Val and Michel smiled at Harry's choice and nodded. "Good choice, Harry," Michel said.

Harry smiled. "Ragnok said it belonged to both my grandmother and my mother."

Val squeezed Harry's shoulder. "That is a very good choice, then."

* * *

 _March 2000_

 _Hermione,_

 _Put this on then apparate to this location at 7. I have a surprise for you._

 _I love you._

 _Harry._

Hermione chuckled and put the note down, looking at the clock. It was just after five; noting how much time she had to get ready, she jumped into the shower to rinse the day off. She'd had a patient throw up on her earlier in the day due to a hex gone bad. Although she was able to clean the vomit off herself and her patient, she could still smell the bile on her clothes for the rest of the day. On top of that, Healer Waters- who has started grooming her to take over his position once he retired in a few years time- gave her a huge stack of paperwork that she had to read to understand the ins and outs of running a hospital while she still had to file her own reports for the day and have them in no later than Monday (it was currently Friday). She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep but if Harry had something planned, she supposed she could go out for a bit before going to bed.

Once she was out of the shower and her hair was dried, she walked back into the bedroom to change into the dress Harry got for her. Once she was dressed and her hair had been managed into submission, she looked to the clock and saw it was only six forty-five. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in being early," she said, looking to the address on the note Harry left her. Checking her appearance one last time, she apparated out of the flat.

When she appeared at the location, she was confused as she was facing a large open space with trees all around her. "What the hell?" she thought out loud.

She did a one-eighty turn to try and figure out where she was but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a large house in front of her. As she walked towards the building, the trees began to fade and turned into an immaculate hedge arrangement lining a brick walkway. As she walked closer and closer to the building, she realized where she must have been: Potter Manor. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she climbed the steps and moved to knock on the front door but it opened before she could do so. Hermione looked down to find a small house elf looking at her with large blue eyes and a grin on her face. It pleased her a little to find the elf wearing a salmon pink dress- even if the dress was too big on her.

"You must be Miss 'Mione. Come, come!" the little elf pulled Hermione into the house and took her cloak for her, hanging it on a nearby coat rack. "I am Dahlia, the head house elf here at Potter Manor. Should you need anything, just call me. Now come, I take you to Master Harry."

Master Harry? Hermione thought as Dahlia led her through the house. Hermione looked around the house as they walked and she couldn't help but gasp and the grandness of the rooms they walked through; when they passed a room with a large piano, Hermione nearly stopped in her tracks but Dahlia would not be delayed. "This way, Miss 'Mione," the elf said. Hermione followed reluctantly but stopped once again as they reached the back garden.

There were endless assortments of various flower bushes, vines, and blossom trees all around the garden with sparkling lights shining on all of them. In the middle of the garden was a small table lit up by candles and Harry, standing next to it, smiling. She returned his smile and walked towards him.

"You look beautiful," he said, kissing her lightly.

"Well, I have an excellent dresser," she replied.

He laughed and kissed her again but it was cut short by someone clearing their throat. The couple looked to the house elf who was smiling at them. "Dinner will be ready shortly, Master Harry. I'll have the elves bring the entrees out presently."

"Thank you, Dahlia; and, please, call me Harry."

"Yes, sir, Master Harry, sir!" She said, then disappeared with a 'pop.'

Harry sighed and shook his head. "That's something we'll have to work on."

"She's adorable," Hermione mused. "I wish she wasn't under servitude, though."

"Well, about that-" Harry began.

"You freed them?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening.

Harry shook his head. "Er, no. Dahlia wouldn't hear of that. I did manage to convince her to take payment and vacation, though."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really; they'll all get payment of three galleons a week- don't look at me like that; that was the most I could get them to take- as well as a week's vacation once a year."

"A week?!"

"It's all they would accept!" Harry said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I offered them a month and they all nearly died at the idea of being off of work so long so we settled for a week." Hermione huffed in frustration and Harry ran his hands up and down her arms. "It's better than nothing, Hermione. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles."

She sighed and nodded in agreement. "At least you came to some form of a compromise," she said.

He smiled and kissed her lightly again before pulling out a chair for her and gesturing for her to sit. Once she was seated, he sat across from her and took her hands in his. "So, what's your opinion of this place so far?"

"It's bigger than I anticipated," she said.

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, the size takes a bit of getting used to. But, according to Dahlia, this is one of the more modest manors in the pureblood community."

She raised an eyebrow. "If this is modest, I'd hate to see extravagant." He nodded in agreement. "So, I take it by you negotiating with the elves, you've made your decision, then?" she asked.

He sighed and nodded. "I have; but only on the condition that you'll come with me."

She didn't hesitate to answer. "You know I'll go anywhere with you; even if it is a massive house big enough to house all the Weasleys in their own rooms and then some."

He smiled. "We'll find a way to make it work."

She returned his smile and squeezed his hand. Just then, Dahlia returned with several other elves in tow, holding platters. "Dinner is served," she said, smiling. The other elves opened up the platters to reveal beautiful plates full of various entrees and placed them in front of the couple while Dahlia filled the wine glasses before leaving the couple to their own devices. As they dug into dinner, Hermione shared with Harry the tale of her long and stressful day.

"God," Harry said, "now I feel kinda bad bringing you all the way out here."

She laughed and shook her head. "No, don't. This was just what I needed: a night with you and to just relax from my day. This was very thoughtful of you, Harry; thank you." He smiled and kissed the back of the hand that he was holding. "But, if I may ask," Hermione continued, "what's with the big romantic gesture? Did you really do all this just to show me the manor?"

He bit his lip- a trait he picked up from her- and shook his head. "Not exactly; I have ulterior motives, you see."

"Oh, really?" she said. "And what would those be?"

Harry pulled a small box out of his pocket and placed it in front of her. "Marry me?"

Hermione's eyes widened at Harry's question and she looked down at the small velvet box. With shaky hands, she opened it to find the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. "H- Harry, I-"

"It doesn't have to be anytime soon," he quickly said. "It doesn't even have to be next year; if you wanted, we could even have a long engagement. I just- I want the world to know that you're mine and will be forever. I want to wake up next to you everyday and have kids with you, and I want to grow old with you, and never live another day without you. So, will you marry me?"

Hermione was crying now and wasn't sure she could answer him without her voice cracking so she simply nodded. Harry grinned and jumped out of his chair, slid the ring onto her finger, and pulled her into a tight hug as they both cried tears of joy. When she could finally get herself to speak, she squeaked out a quiet "Yes" before peppering him with kisses.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Hermione's ring and Potter manor are on the WCN Pinterest board. Link is on my profile._**

 ** _Huge thank you to my beta Almostgalen!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Sooo so sorry for the delay in updating. It's been a crazy couple weeks between two auditions (I didn't get into either show, sadly), then getting sick, then the semester starting, to ANOTHER audition I have this afternoon. Needless to say, these past two weeks have been hectic as hell and writing got put onto the back burner for a short time. I'm starting to pick it back up again but updates are gonna slow down for a bit just 'cause everything's a little crazy right now.**_

 _ **Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They make my heart happy.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 22:**

 _April 2000_

Harry led Ron through the back garden to a shed farther back on the property. "The first day I came here, I wandered the grounds trying to make sense of everything I had just found out," he explained. "While I was wandering, I found this." He opened up the shed and Ron gasped as he walked inside. In the shed sat a large array of various brooms and Quidditch equipment. "Woah," Ron said, investigating some of the brooms that hung on the back wall. "Harry, these brooms are incredible. Despite being Cleansweeps, these were some of the best brooms of their time! Look at the details on the handle; whoever made this knew exactly what they were doing."

Harry laughed and took one broom off it's hook and showed it to Ron. "This one was my father's," he said.

Ron was about to ask how he knew but stopped when he saw the engraving on the handle: _To Gryffindor's newest Chaser. Give 'em hell. Love, FP._

"Who's FP?" Ron asked.

"Fleamont Potter; my grandfather," Harry answered.

"Fleamont?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry simply shrugged. "It's a long story; one that I'm still learning."

Ron laughed and handed the broom back to Harry. "You could probably start a museum with all the Quidditch stuff that's in here."

Harry laughed at that idea but shook his head. "Nah; the last thing I need is to gain more fame by starting a Quidditch museum." Ron smirked at that and watched with curiosity as Harry pulled a snitch out of a box and smiled. "Fancy a race to catch the snitch?"

Ron took a broom off the wall and grinned. "You're on.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

"Ugh. You know, I'm starting to think this whole pregnancy thing isn't what it's all cracked up to be," Daphne said.

Hermione laughed and rubbed Daphne's back. "I know, Daph. But look at it this way, just a couple more months until you get to meet your baby."

Daphne smiled and patted her protruding belly. "I know. I'm just ready for this part to be over."

Hermione smiled sympathetically. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

Daphne nodded. "We're thinking Gideon Harry if it's a boy and Charlotte Astoria if it's a girl."

Hermione grinned. "You're naming it after Harry?"

"If it's a boy, yes," Daphne smiled.

"Have you told him?"

She shook her head. "Not yet; we want to keep it a surprise."

"Understood," Hermione said. "So, Gideon; was that Ron's choosing?"

She nodded. "I'm sure you know it was Fred's middle name." Hermione nodded. "Ron wanted to honor his brother but chose to leave 'Fred' for George's kids; so we chose the next best thing. Personally, I like Gideon better, anyway." Hermione chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"Oh, I meant to ask: how'd your mum react when you two told her the news after you got back from your honeymoon?"

Daphne laughed. "She was so excited; I've never seen her grin like that. I don't know if she knew I pregnant before the wedding or not but at this point, I'm just grateful that she's more excited about being a grandmother rather than interrogating me as to whether or not I almost shocked the entire pureblood community for becoming pregnant out of wedlock."

Hermione laughed. "As long as that's not hanging over your head anymore."

Daphne nodded, relief showing on her face. "So, how are you liking it here?" She asked, gesturing to the manor.

The two women were sitting in the garden on a swing Harry installed shortly after he and Hermione had moved in. Behind them, sat the manor, standing tall and proud in the spring sunlight. Inside, the hustle and bustle from the house elves could be heard and Hermione smiled as she looked at the place she was beginning to call home. "It's taking a bit of getting used to; it's a big house with a lot of rooms. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do with it all." She sighed. "It kills me to say it but, I admit, having the elves around is incredibly helpful. There's no way I'd be able to keep up with all the cleaning this place would need by myself. They've grown on me to say the least."

Daphne smirked. "Never thought I'd see the day that Hermione Granger would allow elves to work for her."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That too, is taking some getting used to."

"Well don't you dare ever get rid of them. That one with the blue eyes- Dahlia- simply adores you. I can see it in the way she follows you around and smiles at you."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "She is very sweet. And she tends to just know when I'm having a rough day at work; every time I've had a long day, I come home to a book and a cup of tea waiting for me in the study. And Harry, of course, but she's not responsible for that." Daphne laughed.

"Oh, so what's this news you have for me?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!" Hermione said. "Okay, so you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? I've already told Harry, obviously, and you can tell Ron because I trust him but not anyone else, okay?"

Daphne nodded in agreement and Hermione smiled. "So, I was talking with Healer Waters a couple days ago and he told me something very interesting."

"Which is?"

"That, in about five years time, he wants to retire."

"Retire? Really? But he's still so young," Daphne replied, confused.

Hermione shrugged. "He said he wants to spend a few years traveling with his wife before settling down somewhere near his kids. But that's not what I wanted to tell you."

"Well, get on with it, then!" Daphne said, waving her hands in enthusiasm.

Hermione bit her lip. "He wants me to shadow him so I can take over his position once he retires."

Daphne's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?! He wants you to run the entire hospital in just five years? That's quite a job promotion!"

"I know!" Hermione said, nodding. "To be honest, I'm a bit intimidated by the offer but he said his ballpark for retirement is five years because he wants me to have as much time to learn about his position as possible. We both feel that five years is more than enough time but one can never be too sure so I'm going to take full advantage of the time I have and learn everything I can."

"Well, no one will ever be able to say that you're not thorough," Daphne said, laughing. She squeezed her friend's hand and smiled. "I'm happy for you, Hermione. Running the whole hospital won't be an easy job but something tells me you'll be just fine. You've been managing Harry and Ron since you were twelve; I'm sure a hospital would be a piece of cake for you."

Hermione laughed. "I hope you're right, Daph."

"I know I am," she smiled.

The two women sat in a comfortable silence for a short time before Daphne spoke again. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," Hermione said.

Daphne took a deep breath before speaking. "Ron and I were talking about our plans for the baby and the nursery and who would change the nappies more often when the topic of godparents came up. It didn't take long for the two of us to decide that we'd like you and Harry to be the godparents."

Hermione's eyes widened. "U-us? I mean, Harry, I understand, he's Ron's best mate but me? What about Astoria?"

"Tori agrees that you would be a better choice for godmother. The baby will get her name for their middle name if it's a girl and she's got her hands full with the Potions Academy in Berlin. She's going to love her niece or nephew, I don't doubt that; but she doesn't want all the responsibility that being a godparent comes with. She's young; she wants to focus on her career as a Potions master and help improve Draco's curriculum at Hogwarts. Babies are the last thing on her mind right now." Hermione raised an eyebrow at that and Daphne shrugged. "I know how that sounds but everything I just said was straight out of the horse's mouth, as the muggles say. And besides, who would be a better choice to the godmother of my child than my best friend?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "If you're sure-"

"I'm positive," Daphne said, squeezing her hand.

Hermione nodded. "Then, yes, absolutely."

The conversation was interrupted by a loud whooping from above them. The two looked up to find Harry and Ron flying around the garden chasing a snitch. Hermione laughed and shook her head. "The more things change,"

"The more they stay the same," Daphne finished. The two women looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

* * *

 _April 2000_

Hermione was making her rounds through the hospital when she walked into a coma patient's room. It was a young pregnant woman, no older than Hermione, and had just collapsed one day for reasons the hospital couldn't figure out. Throughout her time in the hospital, she had woken up from the coma once only to fall back into it moments later. While she had been awake, the only thing Hermione had been able to get from her was that she was in a lot of pain. Hermione tested for a Brain Worm but found nothing and, after several other tests (many surrounding the baby), found nothing that could cause a young woman in such good health to collapse.

Hermione sighed as she checked the woman's and baby's vitals; everything was normal… save for the pain that couldn't be located and the coma she couldn't seem to wake up from. Hermione did a quick ultrasound and nodded as everything seemed to be working fine for the developing baby. The baby was about thirty-two weeks along now and was due in just a short time; Hermione hoped by the time the baby was ready, they would have found a way to deliver it safely without harming the mother in any way. She took one last look to the woman, shook her head and wrote No change in her notes before walking out of the room.

As she began to walk down the hall, an alarm in the room she had just left went off. Hermione ran back to the room and saw that the patient seemed to be struggling to breathe. She ran to the young woman, sent a quick patronus calling for a mediwizard for backup, and began to recheck the woman's vitals; all of a sudden, her heart was beating abnormally slow and there was barely a pulse. She checked the vitals on the baby and saw that in a matter of moments the baby would begin to struggle as well. Hermione did the only thing she could think of and began CPR on the woman. She was by no means an expert in CPR but she had to try; she had to save this woman and her baby.

A mediwizard ran into the room and immediately pulled out his wand. "What do you need me to do?"

"Keep watching the baby's vitals!" she said. "We might need to deliver early if I can't get her pulse back to normal."

"Shouldn't we focus on saving the baby?" he asked.

The glare she gave him told him his answer. "They are both our top priority. I won't let this child be an orphan the day it's born. Now do as you're told and watch those vitals!"

Minutes later, Hermione had a team prepped and assigned them to deliver the baby while she and another mediwitch put their efforts into saving the mother. It was like an organized circus in the room: Hermione and the mediwitch switched off trying to keep the mother's pulse normal and steady while a team of three mediwitches and wizards delivered the baby. Daphne had also joined the fray and would be cleaning up the baby and taking it to the nursery once it had been delivered.

Hermione nearly froze as she heard a cry emit from the room and looked to see a small baby- a girl- being handed to Daphne so she could be cleaned up. Finding a new resolve after seeing the baby, Hermione began to pump harder against the woman's chest, hoping and praying to whatever gods were listening that she could save this woman's life.

But, alas, she could not save everyone.

After several attempts to restart the woman's heart- it had stopped shortly after the baby had been delivered- Daphne pulled Hermione off the woman and wrapped her arms around her. "You did everything you could, Hermione. I'm sorry; but she's gone."

Hermione was shaking. She had failed; she had lost a patient and now there was another orphan in the world. She wanted to drop to the floor right then and there and cry; but she couldn't. She still had a job to do. "How's the baby?" she asked, quietly.

"Alive. Small due to a premature birth but she'll make it." Daphne took Hermione's face in her hands and looked her in the eyes. "That baby is alive because you saved her, Hermione. You are the reason she survived."

"And yet, I still have a dead patient," Hermione said, bitterly. She stood up straight and wiped the tears from her eyes and looked to a mediwizard. "Mark the time of death: 21st of April, 2000. 5:06 pm."

"Cause of death?" the mediwizard asked, wary of Hermione lashing out at him again.

She sniffed. "Sudden cardiac arrest alongside eclampsia. Muggle ailments."

"How is that possible?" the mediwizard asked. "I didn't think witches and wizards could get muggle ailments."

"They can," Hermione said, remembering something she read in her books during training. "It's rare since we have stronger immune systems… but we can." She sighed. "You sure there's no next of kin?"

"Positive. We searched everywhere. We can't find anyone who might be related to her."

She nodded and sighed again. "Okay; clean her up and send her to the morgue. We'll arrange a funeral within the next couple of days."

"Yes ma'am," the mediwizard said.

When she arrived home several hours later, she was exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed; and that's exactly what she did. Without bothering to check if Harry was home, she trudged upstairs into the master bedroom, lazily undressed, leaving a trail of clothes behind her, threw on some pyjama shorts and an old shirt of Harry's, climbed into bed and closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was sleep and just forget about today.

She was half asleep when she felt the bed dip and a hand brush some curls behind her ear. She opened her eyes to find Harry's green ones staring back at her. "Hey," he said, softly. "Daphne owled me earlier and told me what happened today. I'm sorry."

And then the dam broke. Hermione burst into tears and clung to Harry as she cried. She cried for the patient she lost, for the now orphaned child, and for her own failure. Harry simply held her and kissed the top of her head as he let her sob into his shirt. She had been holding her pain in all afternoon and Harry knew it; so he simply let her cry and didn't let her go once.

* * *

 _April 2000_

"I should have seen it sooner. I could have saved her had I paid closer attention."

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Hermione," Melody said. "You did everything you could to save her. What happened was not your fault."

"But that baby is now an orphan! She'll never know her mother and I'll have to live with the fact that I couldn't save her for the rest of my life!"

Melody sighed and put her notes down. "Hermione, I think there's something else going on here that you're not telling me about. Healers lose patients everyday; you know that and I know that. I'm not saying that losing a patient is easy; it's not, I know that. But something tells me it's more than just losing your patient that's bothering you. What is it?"

Hermione sighed. "I feel like I failed."

"Failed your patient?"

"Failed as a Healer," she said. "We sign up for this job so we can save people and help them; instead, I lost one and now her daughter is alone in the world."

"Hermione, look at me," Melody said. Hermione complied. "How long have you been working at St. Mungo's?"

"Almost two years," she answered.

"And how many patients have you lost in those two years?"

Hermione thought for a moment before speaking, her voice a little quieter now. "One."

Melody gave her a knowing look. "Exactly. You have lost one patient in two years. Some healers lose patients on their first day! But you've done everything in your power to save the lives of those who have crossed your path, and until now, you've succeeded. Yes, you lost a patient; and I can guarantee that it won't be your last. But that doesn't mean you failed. If anything, this will make you a better healer."

Hermione sniffed. "How?"

"Because it'll strengthen your resolve. Did it ever occur to you why Healer Waters is grooming you to take over his position once he retires in a few years?"

"Because I have good leadership skills?" she guessed.

"Because you're the best that St. Mungo's has seen in decades. He sees your potential and how good you are at your job and how dedicated you are to your patients. He sees that you don't give up. He sees all the good you'd be able to do as you continue down this career path. Don't let one really, really bad day discourage you, Hermione. At the end of the day, you still saved someone's life. That alone, should make you proud."

* * *

 _Late April 2000_

Hermione stood at the window to the nursery and watched the infant wave her arms around as she looked around the room. She was small; but according to the mediwitches in the nursery, she was incredibly healthy for being prematurely born. She smiled as the baby gurgled and waved her hands and legs once more.

A set of footsteps could be heard walking towards her and she turned her head to find Valerie walking towards her. Hermione smiled and embraced her friend. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling out of the hug.

Val shrugged. "Just visiting. I wanted to see how you were doing."

Hermione nodded. "Better; now that I've managed to think about it all, I'm finding it easier to accept that sometimes you just can't save everyone."

Val smiled and squeezed Hermione's shoulders. "You're a brilliant healer, Hermione. No matter what happens with your patients, they can be assured that you will never give up on them."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Val."

The two women turned their attention back to the infant in the nursery. "Is this the baby?"

Hermione nodded. "Harry and I are trying to figure out what the best course of action is. She's too small for the orphanage and, while we can take her in, we're both so busy with our jobs that she'd be left with the elves all day. Not that I don't trust the elves but, it just doesn't seem fair to her or them, you know?"

Val nodded. "Have you thought about adoption?"

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Yes; but the thing is, adoption isn't very big in the wizarding world. It's done but it's not really talked about; it's kind of like a taboo. And then there's the matter of picking the right family for her to go to… it's just more than I can think about right now."

Val was silent for a moment before speaking. "If I may, I might have a solution."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Really?"

"Really," Val nodded. "What if Michel and I took the little one in? Adopt her, even?"

Hermione's brows furrowed. "I don't understand; you and Michel want to adopt her?"

Val swallowed and nodded. "Yes, if it's possible."

"But you told me you didn't want kids?"

Val sighed. "We didn't; when Michel and I got married, we agreed that we would rather put our time and energy into our careers and each other rather than start a family. About two years ago, however, we began to entertain the idea of becoming parents. So we agreed we'd give it a shot; we tried for months but something always went wrong. After my third miscarriage, I went to see a Healer who gave me the bad news: I can't have children. Simple as that."

Hermione squeezed her friend's arm. "I'm sorry; I didn't know."

She shrugged. "So we stopped trying and just went back to what we were doing before the idea of kids came into our minds. But, looking at this little girl… I can't help but think that whatever higher powers there are… they're giving me- us- this one last chance to do what we've always wanted: raise a child together."

Hermione sniffled. "I can talk to Healer Waters; I make no promises, but I'll see what I can do."

Val gave her a watery smile. Thank you, Hermione."

* * *

 _May 2000_

"So, have you decided on a name?" Harry asked.

Michel smiled and looked at the small infant in his wife's arms. The process to adopt the little one went much faster than anyone expected and the Bouviers were able to take home their new daughter as soon as she was healthy enough to leave the nursery. Tonight would be the first night she'd sleep in her new home.

Val smiled and nodded. "Adeline; Adeline Iris Bouvier."

Hermione smiled. "That's beautiful."

"She's beautiful," Val said, quietly, smiling at the bright blue eyed infant in her arms.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Reminder: Melody is Hermione's (and occasionally Harry's) therapist.**_

 _ **Huge thanks to my beta Almostgalen.**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: I am so so excited to announce that I will be playing Berta in my university's production of Hedda Gabler this fall! I'm so pumped, I can't even put it into words.**_

 _ **Just a heads up though, as rehearsals start, writing will get put onto the back burner again as will chapter postings. Thank you guys so much for all your patience and understanding and love for this story. Your reviews make me a very happy girl.**_

 _ **Oh, and SMUT ALERT!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 23:**_

 _May 2000_

"Welcome to the last duelling club of the year," Neville said, as the fifth year students filed in. "You all have improved vastly since the beginning of the year and we're all incredibly impressed with all of you. Which brings us to our final lesson today: it's a free for all! Do not harm your fellow classmate or you will be removed from the lesson and not allowed to return next year. Your goal is to disarm or stun your opponent. On my mark, GO!"

Neville stood back and watched with Draco and Harry as the group of fifth year students began to throw spells at one another. After leaving the students to their own devices for about twenty minutes, the three professors split up and began to help out with different groups.

"You're waving your arm too much," Harry told one student. "It's not about the movement of your arm; it's about the movement of your wand." Harry rested his hand on the student's arm and held it in place. "The only part of your arm that should move should be your wrist. Try the spell again."

"Expelliarmus!" The student exclaimed, only moving his wrist and wand this time. His opponent was suddenly disarmed and her wand flew right into Harry's open hand. Harry released the student's arm and nodded in approval. "Much better. Now, try it again without my help," he said, tossing the opponent her wand back. The student made to disarm his opponent again but stopped when someone screamed.

"Watch out!" Harry heard Draco yell. The students spread apart and Harry could see what was making them scatter so quickly: a large black snake had appeared in the room and was looking around at the students with a mix of curiosity and confusion. It seemed completely harmless but, by the looks of several students in the room, it would be best to remove the reptile quickly.

"Don't vanish it!" Neville exclaimed as Draco moved his wand to get rid of the creature. Neville stepped closer and crouched near the snake. "What the hell are you doing, Longbottom?" Draco asked.

"It's just a rat snake, calm down," Neville said, reaching his hand out for the snake to sniff. He did so, hesitantly and after a moment, the snake made a gesture with its head, allowing Neville to pick it up. "We've been having a bit of a rodent problem in the greenhouse. This will alleviate that."

Draco raised an eyebrow but before he could retort, he noticed Harry moving closer to the snake, an amazed look on his face. "Now what?" he asked, exasperatedly.

Harry looked at the snake in wonder. The snake returned his curious glance and flicked his tongue out at Harry and that's when the Defense professor grinned. "I can't hear it!"

Both Draco and Neville's jaws dropped at Harry's revelation but the students seemed confused. "Uh, forgive me, Professor," one student said, "but I'm pretty sure no one can hear the snake."

"Are you sure, Harry?" Neville asked. "You can't understand it at all?"

"I don't hear a thing!" Harry said, grinning. "I can't hear it anymore!"

The room was silent for a moment before Draco spoke. "Well that's great. Can we get back to the lesson now?"

"Oh, uh, right," Harry said, turning red. Neville shook his head, chuckling to himself. "As you were! And no more snake conjuring spells! There's not _that_ many rodents in the greenhouse!" he said.

Laughter emitted from the students before they returned to duelling. Neville left the room to take the snake to the greenhouse while Draco showed a student how to properly hold their wand when casting a certain spell, while Harry stood and watched, the grin never leaving his face.

* * *

Hermione moaned as Harry left a trail of kisses down her neck and his hands traced the curves of her naked body. "Harry, I love you and I'm happy for you; but I need a minute before we shag _again_."

Harry chuckled and pulled back, brushing a sweaty curl behind her ear. "Sorry, love."

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry, Harry; losing Parseltongue is something to be happy about. It's just been a long day and my stamina isn't the strongest right now."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm a patient man," he smirked and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"So, I want to run something by you," Hermione said when her lips were free again.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Well, you know Andy's birthday is coming up in June," she started and Harry nodded. "Well, I was thinking we could throw a little celebration for her here. Invite some friends, drink a little, just have a good night."

Harry smiled. "I think that sounds like a great idea."

"Well, you haven't heard the entirety of it, yet," Hermione said, biting her lip.

Harry furrowed his brows. "Okay?"

Hermione swallowed before speaking. "How would you feel if I invited the Malfoys to the party?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we invite Draco and Astoria, obviously; but I was wondering how you would feel if we invited Narcissa and Lucius too? Or, maybe just Narcissa; something tells me Lucius would rather face Voldemort again than come here. But, you know, maybe it'll help Andy and Narcissa make amends or something?"

Harry looked at her for a moment then sat up and tried to process what she was asking. He looked back at her, confusion all over his face. "Let me get this straight: you want to invite two people who hate us to the birthday party of a family friend in order to try and reunite two sisters who haven't spoken in Merlin knows how long?"

He could see doubt grow on Hermione's face and felt his heart tighten knowing he was the cause for that. "It was just an idea; we don't have to do it-" she began but Harry cut her off.

"No, no, wait." He sighed and laid back down next to her, pulling her close. "It's a great idea, Hermione; and I'd love nothing more than to help reunite Andy with her sister and bring some happiness back into that woman's life. But think about what you want to do, love; that's not an easy task by any means."

Hermione sighed, her breath tickling Harry's neck. "I know; but, after everything Andy's gone through and everything that happened in the war… the remaining Black sisters deserve to be reunited."

Harry's grip tightened on her and he took a deep breath. "Okay; say we go through with this idea. How exactly are you even going to get Narcissa to come?"

"Easy; I'll go through the one person I know Narcissa can't say no to."

"Draco," Harry said in understanding.

"Yes," Hermione whispered.

"You think it'll work?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea; but I have to start somewhere, right?"

Harry nodded and kissed her forehead. "Let me just say this: no matter the outcome, I'll support you the whole way."

She smiled. "Thank you, Harry," she said, kissing his lips. As the kiss increased in passion, Hermione slid her hand down Harry's body and took his length in her hand. Harry's breath caught and Hermione took the opportunity to roll him onto his back so she could straddle and lower herself onto him. "Told you I only needed a minute," she said, moaning.

"Minx," Harry smirked, sitting up and pulling Hermione into a passionate kiss as they found a steady rhythm with each other. Harry's hands ran up Hermione's stomach and cupped her breasts and she moaned as he massaged one while pinching the nipple of the other. She tangled her tongue with his as they sped up their rhythm; one of Harry's hands trailed back down Hermione's body and began to rub her clit as he helped her reach her orgasm. When she came, she broke the kiss and threw her head back, moaning his name. He came mere moments after, burying his face into her neck, his breath making her shiver.

When they were finally able to move, Hermione moved off of him and pulled the covers over them as they curled up next to one another. "Sure you don't want to go one more round?" Harry asked.

Hermione groaned and turned around so her back was facing him. " _Good_ _night_ , Harry."

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her midsection. "Good night, Hermione."

* * *

 _Late May 2000_

Draco was writing something down on the board when he heard the door to his classroom open. "Whatever it is, can it wait?" he said, turning around to see who entered his room. He furrowed his brows when he saw Hermione standing in the entrance to the classroom. The rest of his students looked to see who the visitor was and they all started to whisper one another as war heroine Hermione Granger, made her way to Professor Malfoy's desk.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"I know you're busy but I need to talk to you about something. When are you free?" she said.

Draco looked at his watch. "Class ends in twenty minutes then I have a ten minute break before the first years come in. Is that enough time?" he said.

She nodded. "Perfect," she smiled. "Oh, and uh, you're forgetting the Valerian root in your list of ingredients," she pointed out to the board.

Draco looked to what he was writing and made a disgruntled sound when he saw she was right. "I was getting there," he grumbled.

"Sure, you were," she smirked.

She walked out of the room, smiling and Draco muttered something incoherent under his breath. After a moment, he noticed his students had stopped working. "As you were!" he said.

Twenty minutes later, the class was over and the students were filing out, noticing that Hermione was sitting in the hall, reading a book. The students wondered what could be so important that Hermione Granger would need to visit Professor Malfoy but they could not ask since they had another class to attend. Once the last student left the room, Hermione walked in to talk to Draco.

"Okay, what is so damn important that you had to come here in the middle of the day?" he asked, exasperated.

She smirked. "Careful, Draco; you're starting to sound like Snape."

He rolled his eyes. "What do you need to talk to me about, Granger?"

She bit her lip and clasped her fingers together in front of her. "I'm sure you know that Andy's birthday is coming up." Draco nodded. "Well, Harry and I were thinking that we could throw a little party for her in celebration. You and Astoria would be invited, of course, but I need to ask you a huge favor."

"Okay, sure," he said.

"I need you to try and get your mother to come to the party," Hermione said, bracing herself for his reaction.

Draco's jaw dropped. "You want me to what?"

"I know it sounds like an impossible task but just hear me out, okay? Andy lost everyone in the war; the only blood relation she had until you came along was Teddy. Sure, she has all of us and the orphanage, but it's not the same; she needs her family. She needs her sister."

"Has she told you this directly?" he asked, skeptically.

She shook her head. "No; but I know that she's lonely. And I found her looking at a picture of her, your mum, and Bellatrix from when they were younger. She has very little family left; she deserves a chance to be reunited with her sister."

"Okay; say I go along with this insane plan of yours and I get my mother to come. What if Andy doesn't want her there? What if Andy rejects her?"

"You think she would do that?" It was Hermione's' turn to be skeptical.

"She may be one of the nicer Slytherins you've ever met but remember, she's still a Black at heart. She can be just as cruel as the rest of that family."

Hermione sighed and nodded in understanding. "I know."

"So?" he asked.

"I still think it's worth a shot," Hermione said, not losing hope about her plan.

Draco sighed and shook his head. "You're insane, Granger; you know that right?"

She smirked. "I like to think I'm rather brilliant. Brightest Witch of My Age and all..."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I make no promises, but I'll see what I can do."

Hermione grinned and threw her arms around Draco, pulling him into a tight hug. He groaned and pushed her off of him. "Don't get all sentimental on me now," he said.

She laughed and shook her head. "Why Astoria puts up with you, I'll never know."

"That makes two of us," he said quietly. She gave him a small smile and he rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, if I'm going to do this favor for you, you owe me something in return."

"I'm listening," she said.

"Since I'm doing this insane task for you-"

"For Andy-"

"For _Andy_ , it's only fair that you do an insane task for me. Come in a couple times next year and teach these rascals how to properly brew a potion, will you? I swear, half of these kids don't even know how to boil water."

She laughed and nodded. "That seems like a fair trade off. Just let me know when."

"Oh believe me, I will," he smirked.

Hermione squeezed his arm and smiled. "Thank you, Draco; I appreciate it."

He nodded. "Sure. Now get out of here; I have a class to teach."

She laughed again. "Whatever you say, Professor."

* * *

 ** _P.S. Huge thank you to my beta Almostgalen!_**


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating guys. My life has been a bit hectic lately...**_

 _ **Which leads me to my next bit of news: I'm putting this story on hiatus. I'm sorry to have to do it but I just don't have time to focus on it right now as I'm currently balancing work, school, AND two shows (one that I'm cast in and the other that I'm Assistant Stage Managing).**_

 _ **I'm hoping to have the story back up and running by or just after Thanksgiving.**_

 _ **Again, I do apologize and I hope you can all understand.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 24:**

 _1st June 2000_

Daphne screamed in pain as she gave another push. "You're almost there, Mrs. Weasley; just a little bit more," the healer said.

She squeezed Ron's hand so tightly he was sure it might be broken. "This is all your fault!" She exclaimed.

"I know," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry, Daph."

"Oh, shut up!" she yelled as she pushed again before breaking down into tears. "I can't do it! I can't do it; it hurts!"

Hermione brushed her sweaty blonde hair off her forehead. "I know, Daph. But you're doing so well. Just a little more and you're done, okay?"

"I'm- I'm not ready. I w-won't be a good mother!"

Ron bit back a sob and kissed his wife's sweaty forehead. "You'll be the best goddamn mother the world has ever seen, Daph. Our baby will be so lucky to have you as its mother and I can promise you right now that I will be by your side the entire time. We've got this, Daph; we can do this."

Daphne looked at him with tears in her eyes and nodded. "Okay; okay, yeah. We can do this. I can do this." She gave another push and screamed, nearly breaking both Hermione and Ron's hands in the process.

* * *

Charlotte Astoria Weasley was born at 8:35 pm on 1st June, 2000 with bright blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She was completely healthy and Daphne, while utterly exhausted, was already a natural at being a mother. Ron broke down into tears the first time he held his daughter in his arms and Hermione couldn't stop smiling. Once the baby was back in Daphne's arms and the healer gave them the okay to let everyone else into the room, Ron ran out the door and Hermione and Daphne laughed as they heard him exclaim "It's a girl!" to the waiting party of Weasleys and Greengrasses outside.

The first to enter were the grandparents: Arthur and Atticus couldn't stop smiling and Molly was a blubbering mess while Alexandra immediately began to check on her daughter. Alexandra and Atticus had been out of town on a business trip when Daphne went into labor and by the time they got to the hospital, it was too late for them to be with their daughter; so they had to wait with everyone else.

"She's beautiful, sweetheart," Alexandra said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you."

Daphne sniffled and gave a watery smile to her mother while Ron was struggling to breathe due to the bone crushing hug his mother was giving him.

Next, were the siblings with Draco and Harry coming up from behind them all: Astoria got in the room half a second before the rest of the Weasleys which resulted in her being able to get a spot on the opposite side of Hermione- whom Daphne had refused to let her leave- sandwiching Daphne on the bed; but she didn't seem to mind. "Meet your niece," Daphne said, handing her daughter to her sister. Astoria grinned and rocked the infant in her arms. "Hi Charlie," she said, causing Ron to smirk at his daughter's new nickname. "I'm your aunt Astoria; I'm going to teach you all the bad habits your mother doesn't want you to have."

Ron laughed at that. "Now that is something I'd like to see!"

"Don't you dare, Astoria," Daphne said, trying to hide her smile. Astoria laughed and placed her niece back into her sister's arms. "Just you wait, Daph; before you know it, she'll be causing trouble all around Hogwarts!"

Daphne groaned and Hermione laughed. "Hey, look at it this way: if she is as big a troublemaker as Astoria plans on making her, think of all the hell she's going to put Draco and Harry through when they have her in their classes."

Both Draco and Harry, standing at the back of the room, visibly paled and Daphne grinned. "Now _that_ , I'll support!"

The room burst into laughter.

* * *

By the time Harry and Hermione returned home from the hospital, it was well after one in the morning and they were exhausted. They were pleased to find that the elves had left a plate of food and a pot of tea out for them on the small table that resided in their room. Harry poured both of them a mug while Hermione changed into a pair of shorts and an old ratty t-shirt before falling face first onto the bed.

Harry laughed. "You'd think you were the one who gave birth today, considering how exhausted you are."

She groaned and rolled over onto her back. "I have every reason to be exhausted; Daphne nearly broke my hand twice!"

Harry shrugged and put her mug on her bedside table. "What do you expect, childbirth hurts. Or so I'm told."

She chuckled and snuggled herself under the blanket while Harry crawled in next to her. They laid in silence for a moment before Harry spoke again. "Can I ask you something?" he said.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Sure."

"Do you want kids?" he asked.

She furrowed her brows and sat up. "Where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "I just… I don't know; I mean, I know I mentioned it when I proposed but we've never really talked about it and I guess… I guess just spending a lot of time with the kids at school and the orphanage and seeing our friends start their own families… I guess it's just starting to hit me how badly I really want a family of my own. I mean, I know you and I are a family and I have the Weasleys, of course but… but I want my own family … with you."

Hermione gave him a small smile and brushed his hair off his forehead. "I understand; and, to answer your question, yes, I do want kids. I just don't want them right now." Harry's face fell a little and she kissed his lips lightly. "One day, Harry, this place is going to be full of screaming kids: they'll be flying on brooms, chasing a snitch outside, injuring themselves because they were too busy showing off while you and I will be tearing our hair out because we can't control them to save our lives." Harry chuckled at that. "And just wait 'til they're at Hogwarts; McGonagall wouldn't know what to do!" She kissed him again and he smiled. "We still have a wedding to plan, Harry; let's get past that first, and then we'll talk about kids more, okay?"

He nodded. "Deal." He paused for a minute. "I just have one last question," he said.

"Shoot," she smiled.

"Can we name them after my parents?" he asked.

She bit her lip and thought for a moment. "We'll see; like I said, we still have quite a bit of time before we need to decide. Let's not make any final decisions yet."

He nodded in agreement and kissed her again before they curled up together in bed and fell asleep.

* * *

 _June 2000_

"Harry, I really don't understand what the big deal is; I just looked over the papers last week and everything looked fine," Andromeda said.

Harry shrugged. "I know but Ragnok found a weird anomaly in the papers and he wants us to look over it one more time to make sure that it's something we both recognize." Andromeda sighed and followed Harry through the travelling room and into the kitchen, shaking her head the whole time.

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices yelled when she entered the kitchen causing her to jump.

"Happy birthday!" Harry said, laughing.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and pulled Harry into a bone crushing hug. "I'll forgive you for scaring me this time, Harry," she said, smiling. "Thank you for this."

"Actually, it was Hermione's idea," Harry said, smiling at his fiancée. Hermione blushed and put a purple haired Teddy on the floor who waddled over to Andromeda and grinned. "Happy birfday, Gamma!" he said.

Andromeda laughed and picked up her grandson. "Thank you, Hermione. And thank you, sweetheart!" she said, kissing Teddy on the head.

"Well, what are we all standing here for?" Ron said. "Let's party!"

Everyone laughed and Harry waved his wand and music started playing through a radio on the counter. The large group of people- consisting of Weasleys, Bouviers, Neville, Draco, Astoria, Luna (and her new beau Rolf Scamander), and the small array of children who immediately began to chase each other around the kitchen and the backyard. The elves had made a large variety of food and a beautiful birthday cake sat on one of the counters, waiting to be broken into. Harry took Teddy out of Andromeda's arms and put him on the toy broom he had bought his godson for Christmas in the backyard. Hermione smiled at the sight before hugging Andromeda. "Happy birthday, Andy."

Andromeda wiped away a tear and smiled. "Thank you for this, Hermione; it was very thoughtful of you."

"You're very welcome," the young witch smiled. Andy was pulled aside by Molly while Hermione took the opportunity to speak to Draco. "Well?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know; she seemed really hesitant when I brought it up to her."

"Brought what up to who?" Astoria asked, approaching the pair. Draco wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, leaving Hermione to answer her question. "I was hoping to get Narcissa to come to the party tonight; it looks like that might not happen."

Astoria frowned and Draco just shrugged again. "I told you no promises."

Hermione nodded. "I know; but hey, can't blame a girl for trying, right?"

Astoria gave her a small smile and nodded. "You did more than others would have, Hermione; that's what's important."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Astoria."

"Erm, Mistress Hermione," a small voice said. Hermione looked down to find Dahlia looking at her hesitantly. "There's a visitor for you. I had them wait in the study."

Hermione furrowed her brows and looked at the couple who also looked confused. "Okay, Dahlia, thank you. I'll be right there." Dahlia nodded then disappeared with a 'pop.' Hermione looked to Draco. "You think it might be your mum?"

He shrugged. "I'm sure you're about to find out," he said. Astoria rolled her eyes and elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs. "You're such a prat," she said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and walked away as the two began to playfully bicker. She took a deep breath when she approached the doors to the study and opened them up to find Narcissa Malfoy talking to the portrait of Sirius Harry had had made after he and Hermione had moved into the manor. The portrait of Lily and James and another portrait of Remus that Harry had also had designed were conspicuously empty.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said, pulling the Malfoy matriarch's attention off her late cousin, "I'm so glad you could make it."

Narcissa smiled and shook Hermione's hand. "Thank you for inviting me, Miss Granger. I'm afraid my husband is indisposed this evening and couldn't make it."

Sirius scoffed and Hermione glared at him before smiling back at Narcissa. "That's not a problem. The party is in the kitchen and the backyard. I can give you a quick tour on our way there."

Narcissa hesitated when Hermione stepped towards the door. "I- I was wondering I could perhaps speak with my sister first. In private. There's no need to cause a scene, you see."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. If you'll stay here, I'll go get her."

Hermione closed the door behind her and took another deep breath as she wandered to the kitchen to grab Andromeda. She found her in the backyard laughing at something Neville was telling her. She smiled and touched Andromeda on the arm. "I hate to interrupt but Andy, there's someone here who wants to see you."

Andromeda squeezed Neville's arm and followed Hermione back into the manor and to the study. "They're right in here," Hermione said.

"Aren't you coming in?" Andy asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I think you'll want the privacy," she said, giving her a small smile.

Andromeda furrowed her brows and nodded. "Alright then," she said, walking into the study.

* * *

As Hermione closed the study doors behind her, Andromeda found her feet couldn't move from where they were on the ground. Standing in front of the fireplace, avoiding the portrait of Sirius glaring at her, was her baby sister: Narcissa.

 _I should've known it would be something like this_ , she thought.

The last time she had seen her sister was at Bellatrix's funeral. She had been under a disillusionment charm so no one could see her but she saw everyone else; especially Narcissa. Even at the funeral of their crazed sister, Narcissa looked picture perfect. Not a hair was out of place, not a single tear was shed, and her face was as stoic as ever. The perfect pureblood princess.

Now, she looked incredibly unsure of herself; she was purposely avoiding eye contact with a portrait of their dead cousin, she was picking at her nails, and her hair kept falling into her face. Andromeda couldn't help but feel a little lofty, knowing she was the reason her sister was so nervous.

"I think you took a wrong turn in the floo; that is, unless, you meant to enter the home of a mudblood," Andromeda said, smirking when she saw Narcissa flinch.

She glanced to the portrait of Sirius who winked at her, before she looked back to Narcissa. "What are you doing here, Narcissa?"

Narcissa swallowed and looked up to her older sister. "Miss Gra- Hermione invited me. I- I wanted to come by and see you and say happy birthday."

"Funny. What is it about this birthday that's so special? Considering you've missed the last thirty, I figured thirty-one wouldn't make much of a difference to you."

Sirius whistled in the back and applauded. "Well said, Andy."

"Not now, Sirius," Andromeda said and Sirius stopped clapping but a smirk remained on his lips.

Narcissa sighed. "I deserve that."

Sirius frowned. "Oh you deserve way more than she's giving you, believe me-"

"Sirius," Andromeda said, not taking her eyes off her sister, "if you want to be here for this conversation, you need to keep the outbursts to a minimum."

Sirius saluted her and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "So what are you really doing here, Narcissa? Are you here to make sure Draco doesn't mingle too much with mudbloods and blood traitors?"

Narcissa's jaw clenched. "No, that's not why I'm here."

"Oh; so you're here to spy on Harry and Hermione then; wanna get to know your competition in society?"

Narcissa furrowed her brows. "What? No, I-"

"Or are you here to gawk at my grandson? The half-werewolf spawn, as mother would call him."

"Andy, I'm not-"

Andromeda had tears filling her eyes now. "Why the hell are you here, Narcissa? What purpose could you possibly have for coming here when we haven't spoken in decades? What the hell do you want?"

"I'm sorry!" Narcissa yelled, tears filling her own eyes. The two sisters stood and stared at each other with watery eyes, prides hurting, and wanting to be anywhere but there in that moment with each other.

After a few moments of silence, Andromeda spoke. "Come again?"

Narcissa took a shaky breath. "That's why I'm here. I want to apologize… for everything." Andromeda watched her sister suspiciously but said nothing, so Narcissa kept speaking. "I should've stood up for you when you said you were going to marry Ted. I should have told you that I loved you anyway. I should've kept in touch. But I didn't; I didn't do any of that and I will regret it for the rest of my life. I was young and naïve and… let's just say there's a lot I wish I had handled differently. But you can't change the past; not without severe consequences, anyway. I just… I'm sorry, to both of you," she gestured to the portrait of Sirius. "You didn't deserve what happened to you and I'm so sorry for all the awful things I said and did. I know better now. I hope someday you can forgive me."

Sirius' eyes had softened and was giving Narcissa a look she couldn't decipher while Andromeda had tears falling down her face. "From the day I left home, all I wanted was to be able to see my sisters again and to hear you apologize. I'm finding it a bit hard to believe, after thirty one years, it's actually happening." Narcissa was crying now as Andromeda continued to speak. "The conversation always went the same way: you'd apologize, I'd be stoic and mean and let my anger loose say all of the things that I've wanted to say for years, we'd probably both be crying by the end of it, shaking hands and that'd be the end of it. Now that it's happening… all my pent up anger seems pointless and all I want to do is hug you."

Narcissa didn't wait another moment. She crossed the room and threw her arms around her sister and broke down into the tears. Andromeda held her baby sister close and cried as she released years and years of anger and betrayal. By the time they calmed down, their faces were stained with tears and their arms were stiff from holding onto each other so tightly. When Narcissa pulled out of the hug, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes before handing it to her sister. Andromeda laughed and cleaned her own face up then handed the handkerchief back to her sister.

They stood and looked at each other a moment before Andromeda smiled. "I forgive you, you know. I think I did a long time ago. There was just a lot of anger leftover that was hiding that forgiveness."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't angry; Merlin, I was so awful to both of you. We all were."

"Yeah, you were," Sirius said smirking, causing the two women to laugh.

Narcissa sniffled. "I'm sorry I came here at such a rotten time. Your birthday's supposed to be happy and instead you ended up crying."

Andromeda shook her head. "No, it's fine. Honestly, this is one of the best birthday presents I've ever had. Thank you for coming." They stood in silence for a minute before Andromeda spoke again. "Would you like to join the rest of us? The food is great and you can meet my grandson."

Narcissa's face fell. "Oh, I don't want to intrude; that's quite alright-"

"Nonsense! It's my birthday and whoever I want to be here can be here." Andromeda took her sister's hand in hers and smiled. "Please, won't you join us?"

Narcissa glanced back at the portrait of Sirius, who was smiling, and looked back to her sister and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

By the time Narcissa and Andromeda rejoined the party, everyone had moved outside and was either dancing, chatting, or watching the children run around among the garden. No one reacted to Narcissa's presence, making the Malfoy matriarch sigh in relief and she smiled as she watched Draco and Daphne spin around the dance floor while Astoria danced with baby Charlotte. Harry and Hermione were cuddled together on the porch swing and were laughing at a story Luna was telling them while everyone else was scattered around the yard.

"Andy," Narcissa said, linking her arm with her sister's, "when was the last time you went to Vienna?"

She thought for a moment. "On mine and Ted's honeymoon. Why?"

"Lucius has to go to Vienna for business in August. I was going to go with him since I don't want to be at the manor alone. Would you like to join us? It'd be a good chance for us to get to know each other again. And Vienna is always gorgeous that time of year."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "Join you and Lucius on a trip to Vienna? I mean, the trip and getting to know you again sounds lovely, Cissa, but won't your husband have kittens if I do?"

Narcissa smiled at the use of her old nickname and shook her head. "There is one person both Malfoy men can never say no to: me. If I tell Lucius I want my sister to join us on our trip, he'll have to agree. Otherwise, he'll be spending the next few nights in one of the guest rooms in the East Wing."

Andromeda laughed. "I'd love to, Cissa; but I can't leave Teddy."

"What if you left him with Harry and Hermione? They are his godparents, aren't they?"

Andromeda nodded. "Yes; but it seems unfair to leave Teddy with them when they have lives of their own."

Narcissa nodded her head to behind Andromeda and the older sister turned to find Teddy sitting in Harry's lap, playing patty cake while Hermione watched, smiling. "Something tells me they won't mind, Andy," Narcissa said.

Andromeda sighed. "Okay; let me talk to them and see how they feel about it. If they agree, then I'd be happy to join you." Narcissa grinned and, for the first time in thirty one years, the two broke out into a fit of giggles.

* * *

 ** _P.S. I finally hit 200 reviews on this story! Thank you guys so much! You're all so amazing!_**

 ** _Huge thanks to my beta Almostgalen._**

 ** _See you in November!_**

 ** _Please review._**


	25. Chapter 25

**_A/N: I'm so so so sorry about the delay, you guys! After my show closed, things went from busy to out of control hectic. Finals have been kicking my ass, I got sick, and I'm starting my own business so needless to say, I haven't had a whole lot of free time. That being said, I wanna thank you guys so much for being so understanding about the delay in updates and supportive of this story. You guys are the best! Please understand, I'm going to do my best to keep updates as consistent as possible but I lost my muse a little bit during finals so please bear with me as I try to get it back and finish this story. Thank you all again for your patience. You're the best!_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 25:**

 _July 2000_

"What if we just got married at the manor?" Hermione asked. She was currently sitting in the living room of her parents house, Harry on her right, her mother in a chair across from them, and her father, conspicuously absent.

Harry shrugged. "I wouldn't mind; Merlin knows the elves would be ecstatic to be cooking a lot of food for a wedding."

"For our wedding, more specifically," Hermione said.

Harry chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, true."

"I don't have a problem with you two getting married at the manor. That back garden is perfect for the ceremony and the reception. And it'd be free" Liz said.

Harry and Hermione chuckled. "Then it's decided: the manor it is."

"Good, now that that's settled, let's talk guest list," Liz said, pulling out a pad and pen. "Do you know who you want to invite?"

As they discussed the guest list and various other details for the wedding, Hermione found herself wishing more and more that she and Harry had just decided to elope. She loved her parents and loved the idea of having a white wedding but now that it was happening, she just wanted to get to the marriage part and forego everything else.

"Hermione?" she heard her mother call. She looked up and smiled. "Sorry mum, I zoned out. What were you saying?"

Liz sighed and shook her head. "Have you thought about a date for the wedding?"

"Um," Hermione said, looking to Harry. He smiled and kissed her temple before nodding to Liz. "I was thinking of late November. It'd be perfect timing: Quidditch would be over for the term and school would be getting ready to close down for the holidays so we could take off for our honeymoon right after."

"What about your classes?" Hermione asked.

Harry chuckled nervously. "Here's the thing: I may or may not have already discussed this with McGonagall and she said she wouldn't mind finding me a substitute for the rest of the term after the wedding."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "You- she- what?"

Harry shrugged. "I'd go right back to teaching in January but McGonagall agreed that it'd be no trouble to help us out and get me a substitute for the final leg of the term."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What's in it for her?"

Harry laughed. "That I need to start calling her Minerva and that she get invited to the wedding."

"Like she wouldn't be invited!" Hermione said, appalled at the idea of not inviting her favorite professor.

Harry laughed again and squeezed her shoulder. "I told her that but she said something about never being too sure or whatever."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Liz smirked. "Okay, so late November. Any dates in mind?"

"Well, a Saturday would be best," Hermione said, Harry nodding in agreement.

Liz looked at her calendar and tapped her pen against her chin. "How about the twenty-fifth? It's the last Saturday of the month and you'd only have a week of November left after that before December hits."

Harry and Hermione looked at one another and nodded. "That sounds fine," Harry smiled.

Liz wrote a note down in her notepad and nodded. "Alright, date is set. Bridal party? Groomsmen?"

"Ginny's my maid of honor, then Daphne, Luna, and Astoria," Hermione said.

Harry thought for a moment. "Ron would be my best man, of course. Neville would also be part of it… hm. I suppose I could ask Michel and Malfoy-"

"Draco?" Hermione asked, surprised. "You're going to have Draco be a groomsmen?"

He looked at her confused. "Bad idea?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Not at all; I just didn't realize you two had become such good friends."

He shrugged. "He refuses to admit it but both Neville and I consider him a friend. Seems only fair to put him in the wedding party."

Hermione nodded. "Whatever you think is best, Harry," she smiled.

Liz laughed. "Remember this moment, Harry; because that's the last time you'll ever hear those words."

Harry laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes. Liz, still chuckling to herself, wrote another thing down on her notepad. "Okay, bridesmaids and groomsmen are done. Next up is wedding attire. When's a good time for you to go shopping, Hermione?"

Hermione resisted the urge to groan. Even though it was for her wedding, she still hated the idea of shopping. "Weekends or Tuesday afternoons since those are my half days."

Liz nodded and looked at Harry. "Will you be doing a robe, Harry, or a tux?"

"I'll probably rent a tux and have the groomsmen do the same. Hermione and I agree that we want this to be as close to a muggle wedding as possible since that's how we were raised."

Liz nodded. "Alright; if you need help finding a place to rent, ask Josh. He's friends with a tailor, here in town, so he could probably get you all a discount." Harry nodded in understanding and thanked her. After another ten minutes of wedding discussions, Liz finally released the couple for the day and they were free to return home. As soon as they flooed into the manor, Hermione wandered into the study and fell backwards onto the couch, her feet hanging over the armrest. "Harry, I love you. And know I say this with all the love that I have for you; but I swear to Merlin, if I have to look at one more bloody thing for this wedding, I'm going to rip my hair out. I mean it. You'll be marrying a bald woman."

Harry laughed and lifted her legs so he could sit down on the couch before putting her legs on his lap. "I know; I'm half tempted just to steal you away to Venice or something and elope then just deal the repercussions when we get back."

He slid off her shoes and began to massage her feet and she groaned. "Oh, you're a saint! And I would not object to eloping in Venice… if I knew that my mother wouldn't murder us when we returned."

Harry chuckled and nodded. "You know, you'd think after facing Voldemort and surviving a war, nothing more could scare me but I admit, the idea of facing your mother's wrath terrifies me."

Hermione laughed. "Which is exactly why we will, sadly, not be able to elope."

She felt Harry shrug. "That's alright; when this is all over, it'll be nice to have the memory of you walking down the aisle in your white dress and spending the evening with our friends and family."

Hermione sat up and smiled at him. "I'm just looking forward to this being all over so I can be your wife."

Harry smiled. "I'm looking forward to that too," he said, before closing the distance between them and kissing her.

"Oh, now that's just adorable," a different voice said, ruining the moment.

Hermione groaned and broke the kiss to glare at the wall on her left. "Sirius, now is not the time."

The portrait of Sirius winked at her. "Sorry, sweetheart, but what can I say? I call them as I see them!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You couldn't at least wait? We were having a perfectly romantic moment, here until you decided to jump in."

"Sirius! I told you to leave them alone!" the voice of Lily rang from her and James' portrait. A moment later, Lily appeared and glared at Sirius who simply shrugged. Hermione glanced to the portrait of Remus and chuckled when she saw him and James just watching the argument unfold. "Hey, can't a dead guy have some fun?"

Lily groaned. "No. Go bother the elves or something; not the kids!"

"But the elves don't get my jokes!"

"Sirius, no one gets your jokes."

Sirius put his hand over his heart and pretended to be offended. "Excuse you, Evans, but my joked are bloody hilarious!"

"That's Potter to you, and a majority of your jokes are fart jokes."

"And they're hilarious!"

As the portraits of Lily and Sirius continued to argue, the portrait of Remus- which still held a now laughing James- got Harry and Hermione's attention. "Go!" Remus whispered. "Run while you have the chance!"

The couple didn't need to be told twice; Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and ran with her out of the study, up the stairs, and into their room, closing the door behind them. They took a minute to catch their breath before bursting into hysterical laughter.

* * *

 _August 2000_

"Okay, I gave you enough clothes to last a month but he is a messy eater so if you need a spare change of clothes, I've left my floo open for only you two to access. Don't give him any form of sugar after around three in the afternoon because then he won't sleep. He might not sleep anyway unless you're lying down next to him. And there's a strong chance he'll crawl into your bed at some point. There was something else… oh, what was it?"

Harry had to stifle a laugh as Andromeda rattled off instructions to him on what to do with little Teddy. Hermione was at work so it'd just be the boys today after Andromeda left. That is if she ever left. "Oh, that's it! Don't ever let him in the kitchen- or anywhere for that matter- when the elves are around. I let him loose in Grimmauld Place a couple weeks ago and next thing I knew, he was sitting on Kreacher's head while he was trying to clean."

Harry laughed and nodded. "Duly noted. Anything else?"

She bit her lip. "Just… let me know if he becomes too much to handle or if you need me to come home early or-"

"Andy," Harry said, smiling, "it'll be fine. We can handle him, I promise."

She sighed. "I know you can; I just feel bad. This is the first time I've left him alone for an extended period of time…"

"I know. But you deserve a vacation; this will be good for you, I promise. Hermione and I will owl you if there's any problems but I highly doubt there will be. Now, go, have fun with your sister and we'll see you in a month."

Andromeda smiled and nodded. "Okay; thank you again, Harry."

"It's our pleasure," he replied. She gave him a tight hug and kissed Teddy on the top of his head before grabbing her bag and portkey and disappeared out of the manor. As soon as she was gone, Harry smiled at his godson. "Well, kiddo, it's only noon. Shall we get some ice cream?"

"Ice cweam!" Teddy said, throwing his hands in the air.

* * *

Teddy squealed as Harry picked him up and swung him around in his arms in the backyard, laughing. "Again! Again!" The toddler said, after Harry put him down.

Not wanting to disappoint his godson, Harry snatched up the little one and spun him around again, smiling as Teddy squealed with laughter. When Harry ran out of breath, he put Teddy down again and sat on the grass. "Again, Unca Harry! Again!" Teddy said, sitting in front of him.

Harry huffed a breathy laugh. "Give me a minute, okay, kiddo? Then I promise, we'll do it again."

Teddy seemed satisfied by that answer and stood up and began to chase the butterflies that were fluttering around the yard. Harry sighed and laid flat on his back, catching his breath and enjoying the late summer sun on his face. When he felt the sun be shaded by something, he cracked open an eye to find the silhouette of Hermione looking down at him. He cracked a smile at her and sat up. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied, helping him up. "Having fun?"

"Loads!" he said, adjusting his glasses. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips and smiled. "How was work?"

She shrugged. "Not bad. It was kind of slow today so I got a lot of paperwork done which was nice. How were things here?"

He smiled. "Great. Absolutely great."

"Auntie 'Mione!" Teddy exclaimed running towards the couple.

Hermione turned and caught the blue-haired toddler as he jumped into her arms and placed several kisses on his face. "Hi Teddy! Did you have fun today?"

He nodded and smiled a toothy grin. "We had ice cweam for lunch!" Teddy exclaimed.

Harry's eyes widened as Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you, now? What else did you do?"

"Unca Harry took me fwying and we chased butterfwies!"

"That sounds like a lot of fun," she smiled.

"It was!"

Hermione chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Well, dinner will be ready soon. What do you say we go get you cleaned up, huh?"

Teddy shook his head. "No."

"No?" Hermione asked.

"No." Teddy replied.

Knowing where this is going, Hermione looked to Harry who took over effortlessly. "Come on, Teddy, let's go inside and clean up. If you're good throughout dinner, I'll take you on another ride on my broom before bed, okay?"

That got Teddy's attention. "Okay!" he said, grinning.

"Not on the Firebolt," Hermione said.

Harry shook his head. "Of course not. I was thinking one of the Cleansweeps."

Hermione nodded in approval and carried the grinning toddler inside for dinner.

* * *

Harry sighed as he walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Hermione chuckled and put her book down as Harry crawled into bed next to her. "Teddy finally asleep?"

He nodded and yawned. "I don't understand why he doesn't like sleep. Sleep is nice," he said, burrowing his face into his pillow.

Hermione giggled and brushed some fringe off his face. "He's two, Harry. No two year old likes sleep."

"Well, two year olds are crazy then," he said. A small smile grew on his face a moment later though. "They're pretty great too, though."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he is." Harry watched her as her face became distracted. It was clear she was thinking about something but he didn't say anything in case he ruined her train of thought.

"Remember when we talked about having kids?" she finally said.

He perked up and raised an eyebrow. "I do."

She bit her lip and avoided making eye contact. "Well… I was thinking… maybe- maybe we don't have to wait a couple years like I originally suggested."

"Okay?" Harry said, trying not to make any assumptions.

She shrugged. "We don't have to but… I- I wouldn't necessarily object to having a baby shortly after we get married."

Harry sat up and looked at her with a mix of awe and confusion. "You- you mean you'd be willing to have a baby sooner? We wouldn't need to wait?" She nodded. "What brought this on?" he asked.

She shrugged again. "I don't know; just spending tonight with Teddy and watching how good you are around him just made me want kids sooner rather than later. You know, just the three of us spending time together tonight made me feel like we were a real family and I saw how good of a father you could be and- and suddenly, I just wanted it to be real and-" she looked to Harry and sighed. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."

Harry shook his head and kissed her lips softly. "You didn't get carried away, love. I want the same thing just as bad. Are you sure, though? I know you wanted to focus on your career for a bit."

"My career will always be there and Alex will understand. I want this; and I want it to be with you." She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "But I want to wait until after the wedding; if I get pregnant before then, my dad might kill you."

Harry laughed and nodded. "Agreed," he said before kissing her again.

* * *

Hermione woke several nights later to their bedroom door creaking open. She sat up to find Teddy peeking into the room, rubbing his eyes and sniffling. "Teddy?" she whispered.

He'd had a tantrum earlier in the night and she and Harry had sent him off to bed by himself. She could see Harry's heart was breaking at listening to the cries of their godson but they agreed that he needed to know he couldn't yell at them to try and get his way. When Hermione had checked on him before she went to bed several hours earlier, the toddler was fast asleep, tear stains still on his face.

Now, she could see that he was still upset, but he seemed to have stopped crying. "Teddy, is everything okay?" she asked.

He shook his head and walked towards her. He looked at her with his big brown eyes and sniffled. "I'm sowwy, Auntie 'Mione. I didn't mean to be so mean and yell at you."

A small smile grew on Hermione's lips. "That's quite alright, Teddy. I forgive you."

He smiled and threw his arms around her legs. She chuckled and picked him up, hugging him close. "Love you, Auntie 'Mione," he said.

She kissed his forehead. "Love you too, Teddy."

She readjusted herself in bed and put Teddy in between her and Harry before laying back down. She wrapped an arm around her godson and held him close as he fell back asleep. As she listened to the sound of Harry's breathing and the feel of Teddy in her arms, she smiled: _Yeah_ , she thought. _I could get used to this._

* * *

 ** _P.S. Please review!_**

 ** _Huge thank you to my beta Almostgalen!_**


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Merry (belated) Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to everyone! I do apologize for the delay in posting, I've been traveling for the holidays and I'm finally connected to wifi (yay!). Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 26:**

 _September 2000_

Draco watched as his group of Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years entered the dungeons and smirked as their eyes widened when they noticed Hermione writing instructions on the chalkboard. School had been in session for about a week now and Draco made good on the favor Hermione owed him; with Mcgonagall's permission, of course.

Hermione managed to get the full day off of work on the pretense that in helping the students with their potions studies, St. Mungo's might have a higher increase of would-be Healers coming within the next few years. Head Healer Waters accepted Hermione's request immediately after that fact was pointed out to him.

Hermione finished writing the instructions on the board and turned around to find a full class staring at her and Draco smirking. She looked at him and shook her head. "Just start your class," she said.

He chuckled and walked to the front of his desk and leaned against it. "Morning class. For those of you wondering, Healer Granger is here to supervise today's lesson and discuss proper potion making instructions with you. As next year is a NEWT year for you, I felt it would be best that I prepare you as early as I can. And what a better way to test your skills than by having a Healer with first hand experience here to help you. To start, we felt that a good test potion for you all to try would be the Shrinking Solution. Healer Granger has put up instructions on the board- although they're wrong," he muttered under his breath.

Hermione scoffed. "They're not wrong; they're exactly the same instructions that have been used for years in making this potion."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and they're outdated."

"And the book instructions aren't?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Of course they are! But I keep a fresh stock of everything in the cupboard so they still work."

"Just because they still work doesn't mean that they can't use a bit of updating."

"I don't think they need updating; they've worked in the past, why wouldn't they work now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed but perked up when an idea struck her. "Okay; I have an idea: why don't we test to see which instructions work better for the potion? One half of the class uses your instructions and the other uses mine. In the end, whichever potion reacts better to the different instructions… well, you'll either have bragging rights or have to switch your instructions."

Draco smirked and nodded. "Seems fair. You're on."

Hermione returned his smirk and looked back to the class. "Alright, here's how we're going to split you up: You're going to count between 1 and 2." She looked at each student and nodded as they counted between 1 and 2, placing themselves in groups. Once the final student was counted, Hermione spoke again. "Alright, I want the 1s on this side of the room," she said, gesturing to the right side, "and the 2s to the other side."

As the students moved around the classroom, she pulled a Galleon from her pocket and looked to Draco. "Heads or Tails?" she asked.

"Heads," he replied.

She nodded and flipped the coin in the air. When she caught the coin and placed it on the back of her hand, she smiled as she saw the coin landed Tails up. Draco groaned and she laughed. "Alright, Granger, take your pick."

She smiled. "Group 1, you'll be working with my instructions. Group 2, you'll be working with Professor Malfoy's. Good luck," she said, to Draco before walking over to her group.

"I don't need luck," he said, smirking as he walked to his own group.

"Healer Granger," one student said, "why are your instructions different from Professor Malfoy's?"

Hermione looked over to Draco's group and saw him laughing with several students before turning her attention back to her group. "Can you all keep a secret?" she asked. Her group nodded. "The instructions I'm using actually belonged to mine and Professor Malfoy's former Potions professor; some of you might recognize his name: Severus Snape." Several of the students nodded while a few scrunched their noses. "I know what you're thinking," Hermione said, "why follow the instructions of a man who made so many people miserable here during his time as a professor? Well, I have to admit, despite his many faults, the man was a brilliant potioneer. These instructions are simply what he used to teach when his students made this potion."

"How come you know the instructions but Professor Malfoy doesn't?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think he necessarily doesn't know the instructions; I think it's just possible he forgot them is all."

The students nodded, accepting her answer and returned their attention back to the potion.

An hour later, both potions were done and a vial of each was sitting on Draco's desk. Hermione and Draco looked at it then to each other before nodded. The two began to make notes on the potion, noting that the color, the smell, and the texture all seemed to be accurate. Then came the real test: shrinking something. Draco pulled a pair of lab rabbits out of a cage he was keeping them in in the classroom. Hermione poured her vial onto one rabbit while Draco did the same on the other. They waited a moment before watching as the rabbits shrunk into the size of a small rat. Although both potions worked, it didn't take long to realize which one was slightly more effective.

Hermione's rabbit was smaller; just enough to look like the runt of a litter. Hermione smirked at looked to Draco who rolled his eyes.

"It appears, I stand corrected. Congratulations to Healer Granger and her team and a job well done to my team. You all did excellent today. Ten points awarded to both houses."

The students smiled and looked at one another as Draco assigned their homework and Hermione put the small rabbits back in their cage. After Draco released his students he turned back to the chalkboard and began to erase the instructions on there and writing new instructions for his next class. Hermione studied him for a moment before speaking. "You knew those were Snape's instructions, didn't you?" she asked.

"Of course I knew. I'd recognize his work anywhere," he said, not looking at her.

"Then why didn't you just have the students follow that instead of having a competition?"

He didn't respond immediately. "Don't you have to go pester Potter about wedding plans or something?"

"Everything's done. All that's left is a few minor details."

"Well, whoopty doo for you," he said.

Hermione sighed. "Look, whatever your reasoning for not using Snape's instructions, you should know that while the book may be outdated, you still managed to get your team to produce a proper Shrinking Solution in an hour. That's impressive."

Draco stopped writing and sighed. "I just wanted to prove that I can do this without using an old Professor's recipe. I wanted to show that I know what I'm doing."

Hermione nodded understandingly. "Well, you proved that today. That book is hard to follow but you managed to get them to brew a potion well despite the outdated information in there. Nice job."

He smirked. "Thanks Granger."

She smiled and pulled her bag over her shoulder. "See you later, Malfoy," she said, walking out of the classroom.

"Oh, Granger," he said, causing her to turn around. "This conversation never happened."

She smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He returned her smirk and nodded, turning back to the chalkboard as she left the dungeons.

* * *

 _31 October 2000_

Teddy burrowed his face into Hermione's shoulder, trying avoid the burst of cold wind that just hit them. Hermione tucked his scarf around him a little closer and tightened her hold on him. "Sorry, Teddy. I know it's cold but I promise, when we get home, we'll have a nice cup of hot chocolate, okay?"

Teddy gave her a small smile and nodded. She walked through the quiet streets of Godric's Hollow, holding her godson close as she approached the cemetery. It was dinnertime so many families were at home, eating dinner, allowing her to walk through the streets unnoticed. When she entered the cemetery, she saw the familiar figure of her fiancé standing in front of Lily and James' graves. She put Teddy down on the ground and he waddled over to his godfather, Hermione following close behind.

When Teddy approached Harry, he tugged on his pant leg, smiling a toothy grin when he met the emerald eyes of his godfather. Harry smiled and reached down to pick up his godson. "Hi Teddy, what are you doing here?"

"Auntie 'Mione brought me," he said, smiling.

Harry turned around to find Hermione walking towards him and smiling. "I thought you'd like some company."

He returned her smile and wrapped his free arm around her. "I needed it; thank you." Hermione wrapped her arm around Harry's waist and kissed his cheek while Teddy snuggled closer to Harry. Harry kissed his godson's head and looked back to the tombstones. "Mum, dad, this is Remus' son: Teddy."

Teddy perked up that that. "Your mummy and daddy?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Teddy. My parents passed away when I was a baby."

"Like me," he said, in understanding.

"Yes, Teddy, like you. My dad and your dad were best friends."

Teddy smiled at that. "They were?" Harry nodded, smiling back at Teddy. "Are we best fwiends?" he asked.

Harry chuckled. "Absolutely."

Teddy grinned and looked at Hermione. "Are we best fwiends, Auntie 'Mione?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Of course, Teddy."

"Good," he said, still smiling.

Harry smiled and looked back to the graves. "The wedding's less than a month away," he told the graves. "Hermione's mum has been great with planning the wedding. I think everything is just about done."

Hermione nodded. "I have a final dress fitting on Tuesday but that's the last of it. After that, it's just waiting for the big day."

Harry had a sad smile on his face. "I wish you could be there. We have the portraits of you at the manor but… it's not the same."

Hermione tightened her grip on his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. "They'll be there, Harry."

"How do you know?" he asked, his voice thick with unshed tears.

"Because they're in here," she placed her free hand over his heart. "As long as they stay in your heart, they will always be with you. Same with you, Teddy."

Teddy smiled at her and Harry gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead as she wrapped her free arm around both Harry and Teddy, holding her boys close as they stood over James and Lily's graves, nineteen years after they had passed.

* * *

 _6 November 2000_

"Okay, you ready?" Hermione asked, behind the curtain.

"We're dying out here!" Ginny said. "Just come out, already!"

Hermione laughed and opened the curtain to reveal her wedding dress. Ginny and Daphne gasped as soon as they saw her while Liz's eyes immediately filled with tears. Hermione blushed at the attention on her but it didn't stop her from twirling around in her dress. "Merlin, Hermione, you look amazing!" Ginny said. Baby Charlotte- sitting in Liz's lap- babbled happily in agreement.

Hermione stood on the small platform in the room and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress hugged her every curve until it flowed out at her knees, the hem just brushing the floor. A beaded lace fabric covered the satin material of the dress and also served as the straps of the dress. When the consultant came over and placed a veil in Hermione's hair, her eyes filled with tears and she took a deep breath to keep herself from crying. "I think it just hit me that this is really happening," she said.

"Now you know how I feel," Liz replied.

Hermione laughed and wiped a few tears away. "Okay, it's perfect," she told the consultant. Hermione changed out of the dress and happily carried it out of the store, grinning the whole time. After they left the store, Liz kissed her daughter goodbye and left for work leaving the three women- and infant- to their own devices as they apparated to Potter Manor. When they arrived at the manor, Hermione ran upstairs to put her dress in her closet then returned downstairs to join the girls in the study. Baby Charlotte was on the floor playing with a set of muggle blocks that Hermione had bought for whenever the kids were over while the three women sat and talked as Dahlia brought them tea and sandwiches.

As they ate and talked, Daphne nudged Ginny's foot with her own. "Well, that's two down for getting married. Are we to expect an announcement from you and Neville anytime soon?" she teased.

Ginny smirked but Daphne couldn't help but notice there was a slight blush on the redhead's cheeks. "Gin, do you have anything to tell us?"

Ginny bit her lip. "If I tell you, you have to promise you won't tell anyone else. We want to keep it quiet for now."

The two furrowed their brows but nodded. "We promise," Hermione said.

Ginny took a deep breath. "Okay, the truth is: we're already married."

"WHAT?!" Daphne and Hermione exclaimed. "When did this happen?" Daphne said.

"And why the hell wasn't I invited?" Hermione exclaimed.

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "You weren't invited because we eloped. Remember when I took Neville to Germany for his birthday?" Daphne and Hermione nodded. "Well, while we were in Berlin, he proposed one night and then the next day we just went to the Ministry there and eloped. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing but it's been the best decision I've ever made."

Immediately, Hermione and Daphne's shock faded into understanding. Hermione squeezed Ginny's hand. "Okay, I suppose I can forgive you for not inviting me," she said, causing Ginny to laugh. "I'm happy for you, Gin." Daphne nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, guys," Ginny said, smiling.

"Please tell me he got you a ring and you're just not wearing it, though," Daphne said. "Because if he didn't, that boy and I are gonna have to have a little chat."

Ginny laughed again and nodded. "He got me a ring, don't worry. I just disillusioned it so that no one can see it. He did the same with his own wedding band." She pulled out her wand and tapped her left hand, revealing a beautiful gold ring with an aquamarine gemstone sitting in the center, surrounded by small diamonds and tanzanite. In the right light, the ring almost looked like a flower.

"Oh my gods, Gin, it's beautiful," Hermione exclaimed.

"And so Neville," Daphne said in agreement. "He did good."

"He did very good," Ginny said, smiling. She tapped the ring again and watched as it disappeared from sight.

"Gin," Hermione said, biting her lip, "you know your mum is going to flip when she finds out."

Ginny sighed. "I know. We're trying to figure out the right way to tell her but there's no way around it without having a huge blowout fight with her. At this point, I'm just tempted to tell her that Nev and I are engaged and just let her plan a wedding so that she won't have a cow."

"What does Neville think of that idea?" Daphne asked.

Ginny shrugged. "He said he'd happily marry me all over again every day. At the end of it all, he just wants what's best for me."

Daphne squeezed Ginny's hand. "Whatever you two decide, we'll be on your side."

Ginny smiled at that. "Thank you, Daph." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Anyway, onto a happier subject; Hermione, how are the wedding vows going?"

Hermione groaned and dropped her head back onto the sofa. She and Harry had decided to write their own vows for the wedding but Hermione was struggling. "I'm having a bit of trouble," she admitted, sadly. "I don't know why. I know what I want to say but anytime I try to write something down it just sounds wrong."

Daphne nodded. "That's usually how it goes. Chances are, you're thinking about it too much."

"Uh, Daph, this is Hermione we're talking about. All she does is think!"

Hermione rolled her eyes while Daphne just laughed. "Okay, fair enough. But that's not the point. The point is, you're overthinking it. Just write whatever is in your heart."

"But then it sounds cheesy!" Hermione groaned.

"It sounds cheesy because you're writing it when, in reality, it's probably perfect. Just think about how you feel when you're with him and try to put it into words. I promise, it's won't be nearly as bad you think it will be."

Hermione sighed and nodded, hoping that Daphne was right.

* * *

 _8 November 2000_

Michel smiled at his young friends and tried to hold his excitement in. "I was hoping to give you this as an engagement gift but it wasn't finished at the time so I hope you'll be able to accept it as an early wedding present instead."

Hermione smiled. "Michel, we'd accept it as a gift for just being Wednesday if you insisted but you really didn't have to do… whatever it is that you did."

Michel winked at her. "You're sweet, Hermione. But I think you'll be very happy with this. Now, put these over your eyes."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Blindfolds?"

"Just trust me," Michel said.

Hermione and Harry shrugged and did as their friend asked. They heard shuffling as Michel moved around the room and hummed to himself. When he seemed satisfied, they heard a loud "Aha!" Michel then helped them move to a specific spot in the room and told them not to move. After a couple more moments, Michel cleared his throat. "Okay, take off the blindfolds."

The couple did as he said and Hermione gasped, her eyes filling with tears, and Harry's jaw dropped as they looked at what Michel had done. It was a painting: a couple was walking in the foreground, the Eiffel Tower standing tall in the background, along with some other Paris scenery filling the background. The painting was entirely black and white except the jacket the woman in the portrait was wearing and the umbrella that the man was holding were both bright red.

Hermione sniffed and looked to Michel. "Is- is this us?"

He smiled and nodded. "This is from our time in Paris. I've been working on it ever since we returned. I wanted it to be perfect so it took some time for me to get it the way I wanted it to look. Do you like it?"

Hermione wiped some tears away and nodded. "I love it," she said, walking over to her friend and hugging him. He chuckled and hugged her back tightly before looking to Harry who also seemed to be struggling not to cry. When Hermione let go of their friend, Harry walked over to Michel and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

"It was my pleasure, my young friends," Michel said, pulling out of the hug and looking at his friends. "Congratulations on your union and may you both have a long and wonderfully happy life together." Harry and Hermione smiled, tears falling down their face and their fingers entwined.

* * *

 _12 November 2000_

Hermione rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. It was well past the middle of the night and she was exhausted but she was finally, finally finding a way to write her vows without them sounding too cheesy or too unemotional. She still had a ways to go, however, before she felt satisfied with them.

She closed the journal she was keeping her vows in when she heard the door to the bedroom open. She looked up and found Harry walking into the room, giving her a small smile. "Hey, what are you still doing up?"

She ran her hands through her hair. "Just working on some paperwork for the hospital," she lied, her voice expressing her exhaustion. "How'd grading papers go?"

"Fine. Just finished the last one," he said, crawling into the bed next to her. She placed the journal on her nightstand and turned off the lamp, curling up next to Harry. He brushed his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Just a couple more weeks," he murmured.

"Hm," she replied, burrowing her face into his neck. "We're already married," she said.

He chuckled. "I suppose you're right. We already act like a married couple; I suppose making it official won't change much. I'll be able to call you Mrs. Potter, though; and have the honor of getting to be your plus one when you win the wizard equivalent of the Nobel Prize for making some great medical discovery, and we'll have Sunday brunches with your parents, and we'll have Quidditch matches in the backyard while you sigh and shake your head at our recklessness and, eventually, we'll all be in our thirties laughing at our Hogwarts days while our kids run around chasing butterflies in the garden… sounds like a nice life. What do you think, love? Hermione?" He looked to her and saw that she was fast asleep. He chuckled as he listened her quiet snoring and wrapped his arm tightly around her. "I love you, Hermione." He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard a quiet "Love you," come from Hermione.

* * *

 _ **P.S. The painting Michel made, Hermione's wedding dress, and Ginny's ring are all on the WCN Pinterest board. Link is on my profile.**_

 _ **Huge thanks to my beta Almostgalen!**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	27. Chapter 27 (The Wedding)

_**A/N: Hello beloved readers! I do apologize for the wait for this chapter, both my beta and I have been pretty busy these last few weeks. I thank you all for your wonderful, wonderful reviews and your patience! I promise, this chapter will be worth the wait.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 27:**_

 _25 November 2000_

 _The Wedding_

Hermione heard her bedroom door open and squeezed her eyes shut, not moving, hoping whoever it was would leave her alone for just a little longer before she had to wake up. Sadly, that didn't work when she felt a body jump onto her.

"Oof!" Hermione said, opening her eyes to find a sea of bright red hair staring at her. She groaned. "Ginny! Go away!"

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "I don't think so. Know why? 'Cause last I checked, today is your wedding day!" She said, bouncing up and down. "So get up!"

Hermione laughed and sat up. "Okay, okay, I'm up. Would you get off me?"

Ginny bounced off Hermione and sat next to her on the bed. Hermione yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Is my mum here yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I left the cottage stupid early to get here before everyone else. Poor Neville was so confused as to why I was up before the sun."

The brunette chuckled. "What did he say?"

Ginny shrugged. "He mumbled something about flowers and then fell back asleep." Hermione giggled and Ginny jumped off the bed. "Alright, bride! Put on your robe and let's go downstairs. We have a wedding to get ready for!"

Hermione grinned and followed her best friend downstairs to find her mother, Fleur, Daphne, Luna, Astoria, Val, Andromeda, Molly, and the children all sitting in the kitchen talking amongst themselves. Hermione's jaw dropped when she saw everyone there and glared at Ginny. "You said my mum wasn't here yet."

Ginny shrugged. "She wasn't when I arrived."

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked back to the crowd in her kitchen right as her mother looked at her. "Well good morning, beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Hermione giggled and walked into her mother's open arms, hugging her close. The rest of the group began to talk amongst themselves to give the mother and daughter a moment. "How do you feel?" Liz asked.

Hermione nodded. "Good. A little nervous but excited."

Liz smiled and brushed a couple curls off Hermione's face. "I'm so proud of you," she said.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "For what?"

Liz shrugged. "For just being you."

Hermione smiled and hugged her mother again. "Love you, mum."

Liz kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Love you too, sweetheart."

Hermione then broke from her mother's embrace to grab a piece of ham that was sitting among the array of food that lied on the kitchen counter. The group of women all stood around the kitchen and talked for a good hour and a half before Liz looked at her watch. "Oh my goodness! What are we all standing around for? We have a wedding to prepare for!"

Liz began to split up tasks for everyone to do while the girls (and Val who would be doing hair and makeup for everyone) were sent upstairs to begin getting dressed. When they arrived in the bedroom, Val sat Hermione down in front of her dresser and began to work on her hair while the rest of the bridal party hung out in the room and talked; Val was smiling as Hermione bounced baby Adeline on her knee- baby Charlotte was currently being cuddled by Astoria and Teddy was still downstairs with Andromeda. Adeline babbled happily to Hermione who simply chuckled at the little baby. "You've found your voice, haven't you, Della?"

Val chuckled and nodded. "She's been making as much noise as possible since she found out she can communicate with us with her voice. Something tells me she's only going to get chattier as she gets older."

Hermione tickled little Adeline's nose and smiled. "Hey, look at this way: you can be sure that if she pursues a career in politics, she'll be quite the orator."

Val laughed. "We'll see about that. If Michel has any say, he's going to teach her everything he knows about painting and hope that she'll follow in his footsteps."

Hermione laughed. "Who knows. Maybe she'll follow you and become a writer."

Val smiled as she thought about that idea. "Wouldn't that be something." She then turned Hermione around and began to put a light amount of makeup on her face- making faces at her daughter the whole time. When Hermione's makeup was done, Val finished Hermione's hair by pulling half of it back through a braid that eventually blended into the rest of her curly hair. Val reached into her bag and pulled something in a handkerchief out and handed it to Hermione. "I wore this for my wedding; I thought you could use it for your something borrowed," she said.

Hermione opened up the handkerchief and gasped at the beautiful rose gold hair comb that was decorated with beautiful crystals all over it. "Merlin," Hermione said, looking up at Val. "Are you sure you want me to use this? It's so beautiful, I'm worried it might break."

Val shook her head. "There's an unbreakable spell on it so you don't have to worry about it. And, yes, I want you to wear it. This is a special day for you and I want you to feel special."

Hermione smiled and blinked a couple times to keep any tears from falling down her face and nodded. "I- I'm honored, Val. Thank you."

Val grinned and attached the veil to the comb, then placed it into Hermione's hair, securing it behind the braid. Once it was in place, Val stepped back and nodded in approval. "Okay, you're all set," she said.

Hermione stood- baby Adeline in her arms- and hugged her friend tight. "Thank you, Val."

"It was my pleasure, my friend," Val said, smiling.

The two heard several gasps and Hermione turned around to find her bridal party staring at her with wide eyes. "Oh my god, Hermione, you look amazing!" Ginny said.

Hermione laughed and blushed. Before she could respond however, little Teddy came bursting into the room, hair a bright shade of green and a large grin on his face. "Auntie 'Mione, Auntie 'Mione!" he said.

Hermione chuckled and handed baby Adeline to her mother so she could catch her godson. "Well, hello Teddy."

"Unca Harry gave this to Gamma to give to me to give to you!" he said, holding out a small envelope. She took the envelope from his hand and placed him on the ground so she could open it. She laughed when she discovered its contents.

"What is it?" Astoria asked.

Hermione held up a simple charm bracelet with two charms on it already: a stag and an otter. She looked at the note that came with the bracelet and smiled. _For your something new_ , it read.

"I don't get it," Astoria said, watching her sister clasp the bracelet on Hermione's wrist. "What's with the stag and the otter?"

"It's their patronuses," Luna answered, smiling dreamily.

"So what's your something old, then?" Astoria asked.

Hermione held up her right hand and showed off the simple gold ring sitting on her middle finger. "It was my grandmother's," Hermione said, smiling.

"Oh, speaking of something old," Daphne said, pulling out a small bag from the baby bag she brought, "I have your something blue."

"Oh, Daph, you didn't have to- oh, hell no!" Hermione said, covering Teddy's eyes and ears as a bright red blush grew on her cheeks and the rest of the women in the room burst into laughter. In Daphne's hand, sat a navy blue satin garter complete with a bow. "Daphne, you can't be serious!"

"I am absolutely serious. You are getting married, Hermione; not going to the Yule Ball. Sexiness is required."

"But- that's- I- oh, Merlin help me. Ginny, why the hell did you let her buy that?" Hermione said, taking her frustration out on her best friend.

Ginny simply laughed and shook her head. "I didn't. Your mum did."

"WHAT?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Ginny laughed and nodded. "Your mum grabbed it while you were trying on your dress. She bought it in a heartbeat then gave it to Daph to hide so you wouldn't find it."

"Come on, Hermione, just wear it. It'll be fun and risque all at once!" Daphne argued.

"And, Merlin knows, Harry will enjoy it," Luna chimed in.

Hermione grumbled something under her breath, released Teddy from her hold only to snatch the garter out of Daphne's hand. "Fine; I'll wear it." She trudged to the bathroom, grumbling to herself the whole time, to put the garter on.

With that settled, Teddy was snatched up by Ginny who would be helping him get dressed while Val would be finishing up the rest of the bridal party's hair and makeup. Once they were all prepared, the girls got dressed and Val hunted down Liz to get her ready. Fifteen minutes later, all the bridal party and the children were dressed; all that was left was the bride herself. The girls left the room to allow Ginny and Hermione some time alone while the bride got dressed.

As Ginny buttoned up the back of Hermione's dress, she noticed how quiet Hermione was. "You okay?" she asked.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yeah; I'm just hoping I don't trip and faceplant while in these blasted heels."

Ginny laughed. "You'll be fine, Hermione." She finished up the last button and nodded in approval. "Okay; the bride is ready to be seen."

Hermione chuckled and looked at herself in the full body mirror in the room. A small gasp escaped her lips as she looked at herself. "Wow… I look-"

"Beautiful," a new voice said. The two women turned around to find Josh standing in the doorway, smiling at his daughter. "You look very beautiful as well, Ginny."

Ginny grinned. "Thank you, Dr. Granger." She grabbed her small bag and left the room, leaving father and daugher alone. "Is everyone here?" Hermione asked.

"Just about," Josh replied, walking into the room. "Harry and the boys arrived a few minutes ago and your mother is doing her best to keep from crying already."

Hermione gave a nervous chuckle and smoothed down the front of her dress. "I think I'm going to be sick," she said.

Josh laughed and shook his head. "I said the same thing on my wedding day. You'll be happy to know that I did not throw up."

Hermione giggled and nodded. "That does ease my nerves a little bit." She sighed and took one last look in the mirror. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

Josh put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and smiled. "I just want to say before we go down there and before I give you away, I am so incredibly proud of you and I- I love you. I know I don't say it enough since I'm not a super emotional person but I do love you, sweetheart. And you'll always be my little girl."

Hermione could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she quickly blinked them back so as not to ruin her makeup but threw her arms around her father and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, Daddy."

Josh sniffed and unwrapped Hermione's arms from his waist. "Come on, we have a wedding to start."

Hermione chuckled and followed her father downstairs, careful to make sure that no one (mainly Harry) could see her. She smiled at her bridesmaids- all looking beautiful in the dark purple dresses she had bought- and took the bouquet of colorful lilies from Ginny before they began the procession down the aisle. When they were preparing to enter the garden, Hermione linked her arm with her father's.

"Any last words?" Josh asked, jokingly.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice shaking. "Don't let me fall?"

Josh kissed her temple and smiled. "Never."

The music changed and Hermione stood tall as her father led her down the aisle to Harry. As soon as her eyes met his, walking down the aisle became much easier because she stopped focusing on her feet and, instead, focused on Harry, who was grinning from ear to ear. Sooner than she expected, she was standing in front of him and Josh gave her hand to Harry's. He smiled at them both then joined his wife in a nearby seat.

Hermione handed her bouquet to Ginny and smiled at Arthur, who would officiate the ceremony. He did it well yet simply, keeping everybody laughing without making it impersonal. Then, came the time for the vows. Ron handed Harry a small piece of parchment and Ginny handed Hermione the notecards she made. Harry took Hermione's hand and cleared his throat as he began his vows. "At the age of eleven, I made my very first friend: Ron." Everyone burst into laughter at Harry's statement while both Hermione and Ron rolled their eyes. Harry grinned and winked at Hermione. "That same day, I also met a little girl with wild, curly hair, a magical talent that exceeded her years, and a thirst for knowledge that will never be tamed. Little did I know at that time, that that little girl would become my best friend and, later on, the love of my life. Hermione, I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words what you mean to me; but I promise you that from this day forward, I will stand by you, I will protect you, I will always listen, and I will love you with every fibre of my being. Until my dying day, Hermione, I will do everything I can to be the man that you deserve. I love you."

Many of the guests and members of the wedding party had tears in their eyes. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and looked down to compose herself. She wasn't crying- yet- but wouldn't put it past herself to start tearing up later on. She cleared her throat and glanced at her note cards before smiling at Harry. "As you know, I never had any friends before Hogwarts. I was the weird know-it-all who could do things the other kids couldn't. Then came the letter that changed my life; I thought 'Yes! This is my chance to finally fit in. A place where I'll belong.' And I was right; I met you and Ron and my life changed forever. The three of us have been through hell and back together and, as I stand here today, I can say that I wouldn't change a thing- well, maybe some things." Harry and Ron chuckled. "I also want to thank both of you for being the best friends a girl could ask for-" her voice cracked and she looked up, taking a deep breath to keep herself from crying. Taking another shaky breath, she looked back to Harry and squeezed his hand.

"Harry, I don't know where I would be without you. You're not just my best friend but my soulmate and my rock and I promise, with all my heart, I'll never leave you. It's you and me from now until forever. I promise I'll be the best life partner I can be, I'll love you with everything I have in me, and, when it seems like the rest of the world is against you, I'll always be right here. I love you too."

Harry had tears falling down his face and Hermione even felt a few tears slip down her cheeks as well. They didn't have to look to know nearly everyone- including Arthur- was crying. The couple gave their speeches back to Ginny and Ron, respectively, and joined their free hands, holding on tightly. Arthur cleared his throat and wiped a stray tear away. "May we have the rings?" he said, his voice cracking.

Harry and Hermione slid the wedding bands onto each other fingers, smiled as Arthur performed the binding charm- it was necessary to make the marriage legal in the wizarding community- then held their breaths as Arthur finished the ceremony. "By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I declare you bonded for life. You may kiss the bride," he said, smiling.

Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck as he pulled her close and connected their lips. The guests all stood and cheered as the newlyweds shared their first kiss as husband and wife while the couple in question simply ignored everyone. Harry picked Hermione up and spun her around, smiling into the kiss.

When they finally broke for air, Harry's lips traced up to her forehead and placed a tender kiss there before taking his hand in hers and walking back up the aisle with his bride by his side. As they walked back into the house, Hermione noticed for the first time, that many of the children from the orphanage were in attendance at the wedding. She grinned at little Otto and the twin girls she had grown so fond of and gave them a little wave as they left the garden. Once they returned to the house, they took a moment to themselves and just held one another close.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

She looked at him and smiled. "I love you too," she said, placing a soft peck on his lips.

The moment was interrupted by the sounds of a toddler running into the room calling their names. Harry bent down and caught Teddy in arms, laughing. "Unca Harry," Teddy said, "are you and Auntie 'Mione married now?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yes we are, Teddy."

"Does that mean we're a real family now?" he asked.

Harry and Hermione looked to each other, unsure how to answer the toddler. Harry shrugged and looked back to his godson, answering him the best way he could. "We were always a family, Teddy. We always will be. You, me, Auntie 'Mione, and Grandma Andromeda: we're all a family. And don't forget your mummy and daddy; they're part of our family too, even if they're not with us physically."

"'Cause they're in here," Teddy said, putting his hand over Harry's heart, "right?"

Hermione smiled and kissed her godson's temple. "Yes, Teddy; that's exactly right."

He smiled and snuggled against Harry. "I like our family," he said.

The newlyweds looked to each other and smiled. "Yeah," Hermione said, kissing her husband softly. "I like it too."

* * *

The next half hour was a blur. Photos were taken, guests were greeted, food was served, and conversations were had. Thanks to the ingenuity of the elves, during the time that the photos were being taken, they completely transformed the backyard from a ceremony space to a proper reception space, including a dance floor, complete with a warming charm on the area to keep it from getting too cold.

When dinner was halfway through, Ginny stood and tapped the side of her glass with her fork. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may, I'd like to propose a toast to the bride and groom," she smiled.

The guests turned their attention to Ginny while the redhead kept her eyes on her two best friends. "There's a lot I can say about you two and how much you both mean to me; but then I'll start crying and that's just _not_ going to happen." The guests laughed while Hermione just rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Harry, Merlin knows I don't need anymore brothers, but I'd gladly take you as one extra. Thank you for always being so wonderful to my family- especially Ron and myself- and Hermione, from the day we met, you've been the sister I've always wanted. I love both of you so much and I can't wait to see what amazing things you do with your careers and your lives and it will be a privilege to get to witness it all, first hand." She raised her glass to the newlyweds. "To Harry and Hermione," she smiled.

"To Harry and Hermione," the guests echoed.

Hermione turned to Harry and smiled, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. Ginny sat down then Ron stood up to give his speech as best man. "Well, I've never been good with speeches but I'm going to try my best. Harry, at the unsuspecting age of eleven, you let me sit with you in your compartment on the way to Hogwarts. It was there that the adventure of being your best mate started. Between you, me, and Hermione, the amount of trouble we caused could be enough to fill a book; maybe several." Harry and Hermione laughed while Ron grinned. "Anyway, I just want you both to know that I do love you both and I'm glad I met you two. You've changed my life and I look forward to the many other adventures we'll go on over the years. Congratulations, guys."

After the speeches, the dancing commenced. Hermione shared a sweet dance with her father while Harry twirled Molly around the dance floor during the mother-son dance (the Weasley matriarch had tears in her eyes the entire time) before sharing another dance with Liz.

Their first dance as newlyweds was intimate, despite being surrounded by over a hundred people. Harry rested his forehead against Hermione's and quietly sang the song that was playing to her. "'I swam across, I jumped across for you, oh what a thing to do. 'Cause you were all yellow,'" he sang quietly. Hermione chuckled and closed her eyes, getting lost in the sound of his voice. She felt like she was floating; dancing in Harry's arms, his soft voice practically whispering in her ear, and being underneath the stars made it feel so surreal and perfect at once. She never wanted the moment to end.

But, alas, the song did come to a close and reality came rushing back to her. Fortunately, everyone else joined the couple on the dance floor, allowing the newlyweds to keep dancing together while everyone else danced to the Weird Sisters song that was now playing.

They danced and laughed throughout the night, enjoying the time they got to spend with their friends and family. They gently fed each other pieces of cake but Hermione made sure to get icing on Harry's face before running away, laughing. She blushed and covered her face as Harry took the garter off Hermione's leg with his teeth and she laughed when she spotted George joining the crowd of women when she tossed the bouquet and _catching_ _it_. She shared a dance with Teddy, Victorie, little Adeline, and baby Charlotte, while Harry watched, smiling. Hermione even shared a dance with Ginny, nearly causing the two of them to fall down more than once.

When the time neared midnight, Liz ushered her daughter back upstairs to help Hermione change out of her dress and into something more travel appropriate: a simple, knee-length silver dress with a belt resting right at the waist and a typical wizard's cloak to keep her warm. Hermione grabbed her bag- which had both her and Harry's shrunken trunks inside- and gave her mother one last tight hug before following her back downstairs. She found Harry waiting for her at the base of the stairs with various members of the bridal party and guests waiting with him. She smiled and hugged her friends and guests goodbye, thanking them for coming. She hugged her parents one last time while Harry hugged the Weasleys and the Bouviers goodbye; taking a bouquet from Ginny, she took Harry's hand and smiled at him. "Ready?" he asked.

"Almost," she said. "There's somewhere I'd like to stop first, if that's okay?"

He furrowed his brows but nodded. "Sure."

She squeezed his hand and apparated them out of the house, thinking of the two people who couldn't be at their wedding.

When Harry realized where they were, he bit his lip, obviously trying to keep the tears at bay. Hermione let go of his hand and walked towards Lily and James' tombstones, laying her bouquet on them. "Hi," she said, quietly. "We got married today. Although, you probably knew that already."

Harry walked up next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "It was loads of fun," he said, smiling. "I think everyone enjoyed themselves a lot."

"I know I did," Hermione smiled, wrapping her arms around her new husband.

"Me too," he smiled.

The newlyweds stood in front of the tombstones for a while longer, just holding onto one another, before Harry sighed and took Hermione's hand in his. "Shall we?"

She smiled and kissed him lightly. "We shall."

And together, the couple apparated out of the cemetery and onto their honeymoon, leaving the solemn mood and the cold winter of England behind.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Hope you liked it!**_

 _ **Several things: 1) This chapter was posted un-beta'd so any mistakes that are in this chapter fall on me.**_

 _ **2) There are several things related to this chapter that are on the pinterest board if you'd like to take a look. Link is on my profile.**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	28. Chapter 28 (The Honeymoon)

_**A/N: I'm home sick today so I figured I'd post a little something for you guys. I do apologize for the large gaps in between updates; I'm in the middle of a show right now and I'm graduating from college in less than two months so life has been a little hectic for me. Thank you guys for your wonderful support and patience! I really appreciate it.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 28:**

 _The Honeymoon_

Hermione's jaw dropped as she looked at the villa in front of her. "Merlin's beard! What is this place?" she asked.

Harry laughed. "This is where we will be spending our honeymoon." He opened the front door and picked Hermione up bridal style. "Welcome to paradise," he said, carrying her over the threshold. She giggled and looked around at the place in awe.

It was a small villa in Fira, Santorini [Greece] that Harry had managed to find with the help of Val and Michel. The entire villa was like looking in a magazine: picturesque and gorgeous and hard to believe it was real. But it was. There was a large pool in the backyard next to a small patio area with a firepit and there was a little path next to the villa that led to the beach nearby. Harry was right: it really was paradise.

"Can we stay here longer than two weeks?" she asked, looking at the view from the patio.

Harry laughed and placed his hands on her hips. "We could stay here forever, if you wanted," he said, placing soft kisses at the base of her neck. She let her head fall back as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders. "What do you say we go break the bed in?" he whispered, his voice husky.

She shivered and nodded. "I think that's a brilliant idea."

He took her hand and led her to the master bedroom where he pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately as he fumbled for the zipper on her dress. She moaned into his mouth when he pressed his bulge against her and she practically ripped his shirt off of him as he unzipped her dress quickly and slid it off of her, letting it fall to the floor and pooling at their feet. Without breaking the kiss, Hermione pulled him closer to her by grabbing the waistband of his trousers and undid his belt and zipper, sliding them down his body as well.

He laid her down on the bed, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck as he slid her knickers off of her and she pushed his boxers off. She arched her back and unhooked her bra, throwing it across the room and Harry wasted no time in letting his hands travel all over naked body. She moaned as his fingers played with her clit and his breath tickled her neck. Her fingernails ran down his back as she moaned in pleasure and he whispered things in her ear that gave her chills.

His fingers stopped pleasuring her for a moment only to position himself above her. He kissed her lips softly and she ran her fingers through his hair. He grabbed his length and rubbed it against her clit but not quite entering her. Hermione moved her hips closer to him but he just chuckled and pulled away from her. "Don't be so greedy," he said, smirking.

"Then stop teasing me," she said, frowning.

"Oh, but it's fun making you squirm," he replied. He laughed when she rolled her eyes.

"Harry, I swear, if you don't shag me right now, you will be starting our honeymoon in the hospital."

He laughed again and kissed her passionately as he entered her with one thrust. She broke the kiss to throw her head back and moan while Harry kissed down her neck and to her breasts. He thrusted into her slowly at first then picked up the pace until they were panting and covered in sweat. He didn't slow down as he felt his climax coming; he kept up his steady pace, one hand rubbing her clit to help her along while her hands were running through his hair and their tongues were tangled together.

They came together, their breathing erratic and their pulses pounding. He pulled himself out of her only to pull the covers around them and pull her close. They laid in silence, just looking at each other and enjoying the feel of their skin touching and looking at each other. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist and she ran her fingers along the back of his neck. They spent their first night as newlyweds cuddled together, sleeping with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Hermione was drinking coffee in the kitchen, reading a book, when their owl Cicero flew in through the open patio door. He landed in front of her and hooted quietly, sticking his leg out so she could take the letter that was attached. She smiled and scratched his head. "Hi Cicero," she said, opening the letter. She continued to pet his head as she read.

 _27 November 2000_

 _Harry and Hermione,_

 _The news about your marriage broke yesterday. Nice job keeping it so quiet leading up to the wedding; everyone's freaking out because they're finding out after the fact and you two are already gone so no one can ask you questions. Wish Daph and I had had that option but Alexandra insisted that we be on the front page of the society column. Oh well. Anyway, Ginny and Neville were bombarded by reporters the day the story broke but one quick Bat Bogey Hex from Gin and they left them alone. I think they've learned their lesson because, as far as I know, no one else who was at the wedding has been interrogated by the press._

 _How's Greece? Everything's fine here. Work's been kinda slow for both me and Daph; little Charlie's been babbling a lot, lately. Daphne's trying to get her to say "Mama" but all that's coming out is something along the lines of "Ba-Ba." It's adorable._

 _Mum really wants you two to come to the Burrow for brunch when you get back. I think since all of us have moved out, she's been having that "Empty Nest Symptom" or whatever and wants us all to come by as often as possible. No pressure, but if you could come as soon as you could when you got back, it would be an incredible help and get mum off my back for a bit._

 _Anyway, enjoy your honeymoon and I'll see you when you get back! Hope you're well._

 _Love,_

 _Ron and Daphne._

Hermione smiled at the letter but before she could reply, Harry walked into the kitchen, a towel resting over his shoulders and his hair sticking up into several different directions. "Hi," she smiled.

"Hi," he replied, kissing her lightly. He frowned when saw Cicero sitting on the counter, looking at him curiously. "Hey, Cicero. When'd you get here?"

"About five minutes ago," Hermione answered. "He brought this," she said, handing him the letter from Ron and Daphne. Harry read it and smiled while Hermione cleaned up her dishes from breakfast and gave Cicero a small piece of egg she had leftover on her plate. "We'll write them back in a couple days or so. I want Cicero to have some time to rest from his long journey," she said, scratching the owl behind the ears.

"And we'll have more to tell them rather than just that we've been shagging like rabbits," he winked and she laughed.

"How was the pool?"

"Amazing," he smiled. "You have to check it out."

She smiled. "I'll do it later but right now, you have to go shower. We have a boat tour in just under an hour so go get changed."

"Or we could just skip the boat tour," he said, wagging his eyebrows.

"No. Now go shower, you bugger!" she said, laughing.

He laughed and ran down the hall into their bedroom to shower while Hermione just rolled her eyes and looked at Cicero. "Men," she said to the bird. He simply hooted in response.

* * *

Hermione sighed and burrowed further into the bath. She and Harry had spent the day at the beach and now found herself quite tanned while poor Harry got very sunburned. She had laughed as he lathered a bottle of aloe vera all over himself when they returned to the villa and she claimed that he "smelled like a plant." He had stuck his tongue out at her, not amused in the slightest at her comment.

While Harry was trying to recover from the sun's rays, she hopped into the bath and filled it to the brim with bubbles, enjoying every last second of it. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the edge of the tub and hummed to herself as she relaxed from the day. She heard a quiet knock on the door and opened one eye up to find Harry smiling at her. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure," she smiled, sitting up. Harry walked in, holding a bucket of ice with a fresh opened bottle of champagne in it with two glasses in his other hand. She took the bucket and glasses from him and put them on the side of the tub while Harry undressed and sat opposite her in the tub. She poured them both a glass of the champagne and gave him his before raising hers. "What should we toast to?" she asked.

He smirked. "How about to our marriage?"

"Alright then," she nodded. "To our marriage; may we be as happy and in love as the Weasleys but let's not have seven children, okay?"

He laughed. "Okay," he tapped his glass against hers before taking a sip of his drink. "So, what's next on our agenda after this delightful bath?"

"Not a damn thing," she said, laughing at Harry's raised eyebrows. "We've spent the last week touring the island and its many landmarks. I just want to spend the evening out on the patio with a good glass of champagne and my wonderful husband by my side."

He smiled and nodded. "I like that plan quite a bit." He took her foot in his hands and began to rub along the bottom of her feet, causing her to moan. "Oh, you are officially the best husband."

He laughed. "We've only been married a few days, Hermione. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I want to be able to prove that I truly am the best, first."

She chuckled. "Something tells me you will have no trouble with that."

He winked at her and continued to rub her foot until he felt the tension slip away from her then he switched to the other one. By the time both of her feet were thoroughly massaged, the water was cold and the champagne bottle was half empty. Harry drained the tub while Hermione patted herself dry- using a drying charm on her hair would have very bad consequences- and dressed in Harry's old Quidditch jersey and some shorts while he chose to simply wear pajama bottoms and nothing else. In that moment, Hermione was incredibly glad she was a woman so there was no obvious indication of her attraction to her husband wandering around the villa, shirtless, and humming to himself. God, was she a lucky woman.

They ended up on the patio, curled up together in a hammock, the fire pit burning bright and a quiet melody was playing on a radio that sat near the pool. Hermione smiled and snuggled closer into Harry, happily falling asleep to the feel of his fingers in her hair and the smell of the nearby ocean filling her nostrils.

* * *

Hermione woke to something warm between her legs. At first, she wasn't sure what it was but as the feeling continued and she became more alert, she realized what it was: Harry. Immediately, she was overwhelmed with a feeling of pleasure and moaned, sliding her hands under the sheets and tangling themselves in his hair. She gasped as Harry nipped and licked and sucked on her clit and mewled as his hands wrapped themselves on her hips and held her still while he continued his work. She continued to moan as he slowly brought her to her climax but stopped just before she reached it.

She made a sound between a whimper and a moan as Harry's lips left her clit and kissed and licked his way up her body. His head appeared from under the sheets and he gave her a feral smile before latching onto one of her nipples and sucking tightly on it as he brushed his length against her. Getting impatient, she grabbed it and positioned it right at her clit. Harry took the lead from there and entered her with one thrust.

She threw her head back and moaned while her nails ran down his back. "Oh God," she exclaimed, her back arching.

"He has nothing to do with this," Harry replied, kissing her neck and chest as he thrusted in and out of her.

Hermione's climax came faster than she expected and she cried out Harry's name as sweet, blissful release came over her. Harry followed shortly after her, then dropped against her, holding himself up by his arms. "Good morning," he grinned.

She laughed and pushed him off her only to sit up and look at him. "You up for more? Say, perhaps, a romp in the pool?"

He winked at her and smirked. "I knew I married you for a reason." She laughed again and led him out to the patio where they spent the rest of the morning pleasuring one another.

* * *

 _9 December 2000_

Hermione sighed as she put her shrunken trunk into her bag. She looked around the room and smiled, thinking of all the wonderful memories she and Harry had made while on their honeymoon. She was looking forward to returning home and starting married life with Harry; but she'd miss Greece and the wonderful paradise they got to live in these past two weeks.

"You ready?" Harry asked, coming into the room.

She smiled and took his hand in hers. "Let's go home," she said.

* * *

 _That Same Day_

Hermione nearly broke down into tears as she walked into the study after arriving home. The elves had put up a beautiful Christmas tree covered in red and gold ornaments and lights up with a sparkling star sitting on top. "Does the Mistress like it?" Dahlia asked, her wide eyes nervous.

Hermione nodded. "It's beautiful," she replied.

"Dahlia, this was very thoughtful of you," Harry said, smiling at the elf.

She beamed. "We elves thought the Master and Mistress would like it if they returned to find their home ready for Christmas. It has been so long since a Christmas was celebrated in the manor; we may or may not have gotten a bit overexcited."

Hermione shook her head. "Not at all, Dahlia. I love it; this- this is perfect." And then she did something that took the little elf by surprise: she hugged her. Dahlia's eyes widened and looked to Harry for guidance. He simply smiled at her and nodded and the little elf hesitantly hugged Hermione back. After a moment, she relaxed and smiled into the hug. By the time Hermione pulled out of the embrace, Dahlia was grinning from ear to ear. "Sorry," Hermione said, brushing some curls behind her ear. "I hope I didn't cross a line."

Dahlia shook her head, still smiling. "Not at all, Mistress. Dahlia is honored Mistress would think to hug her. Mistress has made Dahlia's Christmas!"

Hermione laughed and squeezed the elf's hand. "Well you've made our Christmas. Please send the other elves to me when you can; I'd like to thank them all personally."

"Yes, Mistress!" Dahlia said, still grinning, as she ran out of the room.

Hermione stood and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "That was so thoughtful of them. We have to do something nice in return."

"If you pull out your knitting needles, I'm giving them a fair warning not to panic," Harry said.

She gave him a light punch on the shoulder, fighting the smile growing on her lips. "Don't be ridiculous. I was thinking something more along the lines of improving their living accommodations or maybe giving them new aprons; Merlin knows they love their aprons."

Harry laughed and kissed her forehead. "Whatever you think is best, love."

In the end, Hermione chose to make all the elves her mother's famous apple pie. Several of them broke down into tears at the gesture while Harry watched on, smiling as Hermione got surrounded by the house elves thanking her for being such a wonderful mistress.

* * *

 ** _This chapter is un-beta'd so any mistakes that are in here fall back on me._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: T-minus one month until I graduate! Let the countdown begin!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 29:**

 _February 2001_

Hermione groaned and rested her head against the bathtub. She'd been fighting a bad case of nausea and vomiting throughout the entire night and called in sick to work around four in the morning. Harry- who had been worried sick about her all night- nearly called into work, himself, so he could take care of her but she sent him on his way. "Your students need you," she had said. "I'll be fine." He had given her a kiss on the forehead and promised to be home right after his last class then left for the day.

She heard someone walk into the bathroom and opened her eyes to find Dahlia looking at her concerned. "Are you alright, Mistress?"

Hermione shook her head. "Sadly no," she answered, getting to her feet. "I feel horrible."

"You must rest, Mistress," Dahlia replied, handing a tube of toothpaste to Hermione. The witch nodded her thanks and brushed her teeth to get the vomit taste out of her mouth. Once she was done, Dahlia tucked her into bed and brought a tray of soup and a cup of tea over to her. "This soup was Mistress Euphemia's remedy for nausea. When she was expecting Master James, she ate this everyday as it was the only thing she _could_ eat without throwing it back up later."

"Well it is quite delicious and- wait, what did you say?" Hermione said.

Dahlia furrowed her brows. "It helped Mistress Euphemia with her nausea when she was expecting Master James. Why do you ask, Mistress?" Hermione didn't answer as she ran the past couple weeks through her head. "Have I said something to upset the Mistress?" Dahlia asked.

Hermione came out of her daze and shook her head. "Not at all, Dahlia. You've just got me thinking is all. The soup is delicious, thank you."

Dahlia smiled and nodded. "Of course, Mistress. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Dahlia. Thank you though."

"Of course, Mistress," the elf said. And with a 'pop,' she was gone. As soon as Hermione was alone, she grabbed her wand and jumped out of bed to perform the pregnancy test charm on herself. A few minutes later, Hermione gasped as a blue light glowed over her wand. "Well, I'll be damned," she said. She rested her hand over her abdomen and smiled as she thought of her and Harry's child growing inside her before another wave of nausea overcame her and she ran back to the bathroom to throw up once more.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

Harry was sitting in his office grading papers when he heard a quiet knock on his door. He looked up and smiled at his visitor. "Hello Otto," he said.

Little Otto smiled at Harry. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?" he said.

"Of course," Harry said. "Please, have a seat. Biscuit?" he offered the plate of Liz's famous vanilla cinnamon biscuits to the boy- she had made a _plethora_ of cookies for an event at work and sent all the overflow to Harry and Hermione to take to their respective places of work. Otto took one and nibbled on it while Harry helped himself to his _third_ biscuit. "Now, how can I help you?"

"Well, I was wondering: would you consider us friends?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Well, as your professor, I'm required to say no. But, off the record, yes, I do consider us friends. Why do you ask?"

"I, er, I was hoping to get some advice on some stuff and I trust you and well, I don't really know who else to go to about this."

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

Otto shook his head. "N-no. Nothing's wrong; it's just… I- howdoyouaskagirlout?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Harry asked.

Otto sighed and ran his hands through his curly hair. "There's this girl in Ravenclaw who I really like and, with Valentine's Day coming up, I was hoping to ask her out but I have absolutely _no_ idea how to do that."

Harry forced himself not to chuckle at little Otto's concerns. "Well, I'm afraid I'm not the best person to ask considering I was the _worst_ at dating in my younger years. Hell, until I started dating my wife, I had no idea what I was doing. Sometimes I still don't." Otto chuckled and Harry shook his head. "That being said, I do have this advice for you: just ask her. I know that seems like the most terrifying thing to do but, at the end of the day, the worst thing she could say is no. So, I'm sorry my advice isn't more helpful but I think just asking her is the best course of action."

"Is that what you did when you started dating your wife?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "Sort of; the circumstances were different but, at the end of the day, I took a leap of faith and told her how I felt. Here we are, almost two years later: married and very happy."

Otto smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "But what if she says no?"

"Then she says no," Harry said, simply. "Rejection sucks; believe me, I know it does. But it can be a good thing: it leads to new opportunities and opens doors you never imagined would be opened. _If_ she says no, it'll sting like hell for a bit, but then you'll recover and move on. As much as it feels like the end of the world, I can promise you it's not."

Otto nodded. "Okay; should I make a big gesture when I ask her or-"

Harry shook his head. "No; if you want to make a gesture, do it on your first date. Not while asking her out. That way, if she turns you down, it's not as awkward," Harry winked at the boy and Otto smiled.

"Okay, I think I know what to do. Thank you, Professor."

"I'm glad I could help, Otto. Come by anytime you need me- for anything."

Otto nodded. "I will."

"Oh, and Otto," Harry said, as the boy began to walk out of his office. "Good luck," Harry said, smiling.

Otto returned the smile and left Harry's office with a new bounce in his step.

Daphne squealed and tackled Hermione in a bear hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

Hermione laughed. "Thank you, Daph. But, do me a favor and don't tell anyone yet, okay? I need to see a muggle doctor first to confirm."

"Why would you need to confirm it?" Daphne asked, confused.

Hermione shrugged. "It's something my mum always said: 'Never assume anything until it's been confirmed twice.' It's more along the lines of just covering all your bases, you know?"

Daphne nodded in understanding. "Fair point. So, I take it you're going to hold off telling Harry for now?"

Hermione nodded. "Just until I can meet with my doctor on Monday."

"Well, until then, your secret's safe with me," Daphne grinned.

* * *

 _One Week Later_

Harry came home to Hermione waiting for him in the study. "Hey, what are you doing home early?" he asked.

She smiled. "I have some news for you," she said.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Everything is great, actually." She took his hand in hers and placed it over her abdomen. "We're gonna be parents."

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "W-what? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I just got out of my appointment with my OBGYN in London, who just confirmed it for me. I'm about six weeks along."

"We're gonna have a baby," he said, quietly.

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Yeah, we are."

Harry's face lit up with excitement and he picked Hermione up and spun her around, grinning. She laughed and held onto him tightly as they celebrated a new chapter in their lives.

* * *

 _March 2001_

"So when should we make the announcement?" Harry asked as they laid in bed one night.

"Let's wait a few more weeks; I want to just keep this to ourselves for now, you know?"

"And Daphne," he said.

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, and Daphne, but I trust her not to tell anyone." He smiled and nodded, taking her hand in his and playing with her fingers.

"I hope it has your eyes," Hermione said.

Harry looked at her. "Well, I hope it has your nose."

She looked at him and furrowed her brows. "My _nose_?"

He laughed and nodded. "Well, I would have said your hair but, as much as I love it, I wouldn't wish your hair on anyone."

She laughed. "Well, I can't say yours is much better. No matter what, this poor child is screwed in the hair department."

He chuckled and shrugged. "Well, at least it'll have your brains."

"And most likely your talent for Quidditch," she said, scrunching her nose. He laughed again at that. "Who knows; maybe it'll get your aversion to the sport," he said.

"I doubt it," she replied.

He smirked and propped himself up on his elbow to look at her better. "Well you know what I don't doubt?"

"What?" she asked.

"That _you_ are going to be one fantastic mother," he said.

She smiled and brushed some fringe out of his face. "Well, I think you're going to be one fantastic father."

He grinned and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I hope you're right," he said.

* * *

 _April 2001_

It didn't take Hermione long to figure out that something was very, _very_ wrong. She had been in the study when she felt the cramps begin. They started off mild but became more severe as time went on. When she felt something warm between her legs and saw the blood, she choked back a sob, knowing already what would happen next. "Dahlia!" she called.

The little elf appeared immediately, looking terrified as she saw her Mistress bleeding. "I need you to take me to St. Mungo's. Once you drop me off, go get Harry. _Please_."

"Yes, Mistress," Dahlia said. She took Hermione's hand and apparated them to St. Mungo's leaving her with Daphne- who happened to be in the lobby when they arrived- before apparating to Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry was walking with Draco and Neville down to the Quidditch pitch for the Slytherin-Gryffindor game when he saw Dahlia running towards him, her big eyes full of worry. "Dahlia? What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Master Harry, come quick! Mistress is ill!"

"What? What happened?" Harry asked.

"It's not for me to say, Master Harry. But it's not good. Come, come! We must go to St. Mungo's!"

Harry looked to his fellow professors for help. "Go," Draco said. "We'll tell McGonagall where you went."

"Thank you," Harry said, looking back to Dahlia. The little elf took his hand and apparated them out of the school and to St. Mungo's.

* * *

Harry nearly crashed into Daphne as he ran down the halls of the hospital. "Where's Hermione?" he asked, frantically.

Daphne shook her head. "They're finishing up with her now; you can go in in a second."

"What happened?" he asked, still frantic.

Daphne's face fell and she shook her head. "You might want to sit down-"

"Just tell me what happened! Is she going to be okay?" he said.

Daphne sighed. "She's going to be fine. But… Harry, I'm so sorry. She had a miscarriage."

Harry felt his stomach drop and his throat became dry. "B-but, I don't understand. I thought everything was okay? She's been doing everything right."

Daphne shook her head. "Sometimes these things just can't be prevented."

"Did we do anything wrong?" Harry asked.

"No," Daphne said, firmly. "I want you to listen to me, loud and clear: neither of you did anything wrong. For whatever reason, something went wrong in the development process and her body rejected it, causing the miscarriage. It has nothing to do with anything you two might have done; and I know you wouldn't have done anything to harm it."

"Of course not," he said.

She gave him a sad smile and glanced back at Hermione's room where two mediwizards were leaving the room, everything they had used to help Hermione sitting on a cart that was being wheeled away in the other direction. "I think she's ready for you," Daphne said.

Harry swallowed what little saliva was left in his mouth and entered Hermione's room. He found her, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, a look of defeat on her face. He knocked on the wall and she looked up at him. "Hi," he said, quietly.

"Hi," she replied. He walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Drained," she answered. "Both emotionally and physically." He nodded in understanding. She scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to her. He kicked off his shoes and laid down next to her, pulling her close to him. "How are you?" she asked.

He shrugged. "In shock, mostly."

She nodded and sniffled. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking.

Harry took her face in his hands and kissed her lovingly. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said. "What happened was _not_ your fault; Daphne said something probably went wrong in development and your body just rejected it. That's not your fault."

She sniffled again, her eyes filling with tears. "God, I just want this day to be over."

Harry pulled her close and held on tight as she broke down into tears in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and ignored the tears running down his cheeks as he buried his face into her hair. Although his heart was breaking, he was relieved that he still had Hermione. His grip on her tightened as he thanked whatever gods were listening that she was still here. They may have lost their child today, but at least he didn't lose her too.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Okay, two things: 1) Super sorry if there's any wrong information here. I tried to keep everything as accurate as possible but I do understand that I may or may not have gotten a few things wrong. Sorry about that if that is the case.**_

 _ **2) This chapter is un-beta'd so any mistakes fall back on me.**_

 _ **Thank you guys for your patience and love for this story. I realize I've been working on this thing for close to a year now but you guys have been so patient and wonderful, I just love you all so much. Thank you.**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**A/N: I feel really bad for making you guys so sad with the last chapter so I figured I'd post another chapter for you in hopes of cheering you up. Thank you all for your feedback! It means a lot!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 30:**

 _April - May 2001_

The first few days after Hermione's miscarriage were the worst. She had taken the rest of the week off- at both Head Healer Waters' and Daphne's insistence- and laid in bed, nearly the entire time.

Liz had come by the day after Hermione was released from the hospital and spent a good three hours lying in bed with her daughter, alternating between holding her while she cried and talking to her, doing her best to cheer her up. Ginny- who had been out of town for a Quidditch match- visited her best friend as soon as she got back and held her close as she promised everything would be okay. Both Daphne and Val also visited Hermione while Astoria had sent her a letter full of information about a new potion she was working on in hopes to help her friend distract herself- only Daphne, Ron, Ginny, Healer Melody Laster, and the Grangers knew what had actually happened. Everyone else had just been told that Hermione had fallen seriously ill but was slowly getting better.

As for Harry, he did the best he could: he held Hermione close every night and told her how much he loved her and every morning before he would leave for work- Hermione wouldn't let him skip work to take care of her- he gave her a loving kiss and promised to be home as soon as classes ended for the day. Despite being utterly devastated at the loss of their child, Harry remained strong for Hermione because he knew she needed it. And she was incredibly grateful for him.

The weeks passed and Hermione went back to work- avoiding the maternity ward for the first few days. As time went on, she could walk by the maternity ward without feeling her heart clench and she could watch baby Charlotte and little Adeline grow by the day without feeling sorry for herself.

The biggest help, was Teddy. Although the now three-year-old didn't understand why Hermione was upset, he had been pleased that he could at least help her feel better. All it took was an hour listening to Teddy's adorable ramblings and she was back to her laughing and smiling self. The toddler even brought Harry's spirits back up to the point that he was doubled over in laughter after watching him eat a butterfly and then proceed to _spit it back up_. Hermione was mortified but Harry thought it was hilarious; within the short time frame they spent with Teddy, they felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Their hearts still hurt; but thanks to Teddy, it was a little easier waking up in the morning knowing they still had him.

* * *

 _May 2001_

Harry put his hand over Hermione's book and kissed her when she looked up at him. She giggled when they broke apart and nuzzled her nose against his. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said, smiling. "Did you have any plans for the weekend?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Why?"

"What do you say you and I just get out of here for a couple days? We'll just spend some time in Muggle London and have a little 'staycation?' What do you think?"

She smiled and nodded. "I think that sounds great."

"Great! Go get dressed, we're leaving in fifteen minutes," he said.

"Wait, what?" Hermione replied, watching as her husband ran out of the study. "Harry, wait!" she said, chasing after him. "What do you mean we're leaving in fifteen minutes? We haven't even planned this out, yet."

"I have," he said, taking his shirt off and throwing in the hamper nearby. "I've been planning this all week. We both need a break so I figured we'd just take the weekend off and just enjoy ourselves. I booked the hotel on Monday and I've just been making arrangements for the rest of the week."

"What kind of arrangements?" she asked, changing her shirt as well.

"Dinner reservations and some other things. I'm not telling you though; it's a surprise," he smiled.

She returned the smile and kissed him lightly. "Thank you for this; I really appreciate all the effort you've put into this even though you didn't have to."

"Hey, I promised I'd protect you and support you always. I'm just fulfilling that promise."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. "You're so good to me," she said.

He kissed the top of her head. "What are husbands for?"

She giggled and pulled out of the hug to finish changing. Ten minutes later, the couple was ready to go and apparated out of the manor, hand in hand.

* * *

Harry had booked them a hotel in the heart of Trafalgar Square, London, much to Hermione's surprise. "I thought you didn't like busy areas?" she asked as they took the lift to their room.

He shrugged. "I usually don't. But I figured we can be a bit more invisible here than we would be if I had picked a less populated area. Chances of us running into anyone here is fairly slim."

She nodded in understanding. "Good point."

As soon as they reached their room, Hermione flopped onto the bed, stretching her arms above her head. Harry chuckled and placed their luggage on the floor before joining his wife on the bed. "Comfy?" he asked.

She nodded and turned on her side to look at him. "I love you, you know. I feel like I haven't said it enough, especially with all that we've gone through this past month. I just want you to know that I really appreciate you being so supportive and I love you so much."

He gave her a soft kiss on the lips and smiled. "I love you too," he replied. "I know this past month hasn't been easy for either of us but we're going to be okay. I really believe that."

She smiled and nuzzled her nose against his. He closed his eyes and kissed her again, softly at first then quickly gaining more passion. He rolled on top of her and kissed down her neck while she slipped her hands underneath his shirt. She slid his shirt off and ran her hands down his bare chest as he alternated between kissing her neck and her lips. As their kissing became more passionate, the rest of their clothes were quickly discarded and they became tangled in the sheets together. She came, calling his name and dragging her fingernails down his back. He followed her not long after. They spent the next several hours cuddled together in bed, their fingers trailing all over each other's bodies as they shared soft kisses.

When the sun began to set low in the sky, Hermione's stomach growled and Harry laughed. "Hungry?"

She nodded. "I haven't eaten since this morning," she replied.

He kissed her softly then sat up. "Come on, let's get dressed then go get dinner."

They dressed quickly then went to a nearby cafe to eat dinner. Harry knew very quickly that his 'staycation' idea was a success by how often Hermione was smiling and laughing. She was finally returning to her old self and he was feeling lighter and lighter with every smile she gave him.

After dinner, they took a romantic walk around the area, listening to the various sounds of the nightlife: patrons laughing in a nearby restaurant, tourists, speaking in a foreign tongue, trying to figure out where they were, street performers dancing and singing for a small crowd that had gathered before them, and boats floating along the River Thames, their final destination, unknown.

Hermione rested her head against Harry's shoulder as they walked and hummed contentedly. "We should do this more often. The only time we're in muggle London is to visit my parents but I miss it here. There's a completely different way of life here and it's refreshing in a way, you know?"

Harry nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah; it's an escape without really leaving anything."

Hermione nodded in agreement and they continued to walk in a comfortable silence. They watched the nightlife of muggle London for a while before deciding to head back to their hotel and stay in for the rest of the night. As they walked back, something caught Harry's eye- better yet, some _one_.

A young man nearby laughed and Harry nearly stopped dead in his tracks; he'd know that laugh anywhere. But the person it was coming from looking nothing like how he remembered him. The fact that there was a beautiful woman on his arm also made him hard to recognize. "Harry?" Hermione asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"I- I just thought I recognized someone, that's all," Harry replied, still watching the young man.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

Harry smiled as the young man kissed the woman he was with and shook his head, looking to his wife. "Dudley."

"Dudley? Your cousin Dudley?"

"That's the one," he replied.

Hermione looked amongst the crowd and didn't see who her husband saw. "Where?"

"Over there," he nodded in the direction he saw his cousin. Harry looked back to point to Hermione where specifically he was but stopped short when he made eye contact with Dudley. The two of them looked at each other- Dudley with surprise; Harry with mild embarrassment. Then, Dudley said something to the woman with him and walked away from her; it took Harry a moment to realize that he was walking _towards them_.

"Oh shit," Harry said, looking to Hermione. "What do I do?"

"Just be polite," Hermione answered. "It's been years since you two last saw each other. The least you can do is be civil to him."

He nodded. "Right. Civil. I can do civil."

"Well, I certainly hope so 'cause here he comes," Hermione said.

Dudley smiled as he approached his estranged cousin. Harry realized why he'd had such trouble recognizing him at first: he had slimmed down quite a bit since he last saw him- although his cheeks were still rather pudgy- and there wasn't any malice in his eyes. This man had certainly grown up since the last time they had seen one another. "Hello Harry," Dudley said.

"Hello Dudley," Harry replied, returning the smile and shaking his hand. "It's good to see you."

"You too. I gotta be honest, from the last time I saw you, it seemed like we'd never hear from you again 'cause… well, we suspected something had happened to you."

Harry chuckled. "Several things happened; I just managed to survive them all."

Dudley smirked. "Well, I'm glad you're still around."

"Me too," Harry said. He put his hand on the small of Hermione's back and and smiled at her. "Dudley, this is my wife, Hermione."

Dudley raised his eyebrows and smiled at Hermione. "Pleasure to meet you, Hermione," he said.

"Likewise," she smiled.

He smirked at Harry. "I gotta admit, cousin, I never thought I'd see the day that you'd get married. I always kind of imagined you'd be a bachelor for life."

Harry laughed and wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder, pulling her close. "Hm, perhaps in another life but in this one, I'm quite happy being married to my best friend."

"Good answer," Hermione smiled, wrapping her arms around Harry's waist.

Someone cleared their throat and the three turned their attention to the woman who had been on Dudley's arm earlier. She was small in stature and had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. When Dudley spotted her, a large grin appeared on his face. He reached a hand out to her and she took it, smiling at him. "Harry, Hermione, I'd like you to meet my fiancée: Laura. Love, this is my cousin Harry and his wife Hermione."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Laura replied. "Dudley never mentioned that he had a cousin?" she said, confused.

Dudley stumbled in his answer but Harry saved him from embarrassment. "We were never really close as kids and it's been a good few years since we saw each other last. I'm sure it just slipped his mind."

Laura accepted Harry's answer without question and Dudley mouthed "Thank you," to him when she wasn't looking. Hermione squeezed Harry's waist and Harry knew exactly what she meant. "Well, it was good to see you again, Dudders, but we should be getting back. It's been a long day." Hermione nodded in agreement.

Dudley rolled his eyes at Harry's use of his old nickname but didn't react otherwise. "Likewise, cousin."

"It was a pleasure to meet you both," Laura said.

Hermione smiled at the girl and nodded. "You as well. Congratulations on your wedding, by the way."

Laura beamed while Dudley just smiled at her. "Thank you," she replied.

"See you around, Dudley," Harry said, beginning to walk away with his wife.

"See you, Harry," Dudley replied, watching the two of them leave. Laura took his hand in hers and smiled at him. "They seem nice," she mused.

"Yeah," Dudley said.

"We should invite them over for dinner sometime."

He looked at her confused. "Really?"

She shrugged. "Why not? He's family isn't he? And you know how important I think family is."

"Yes, but Laura, you don't understand. Harry and I did _not_ get along as children. I'm a different person now but back then… well, I wasn't exactly the nicest to him."

"Now's as good a time as any to make amends, isn't it?" she asked. When Dudley didn't respond, she patted his arm. "Just think about it."

And he would.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Hopefully this makes up for making you sad! There's a facecast of Laura on the WCN Pinterest page (I'm still hunting for an appropriate Dudley facecast)._**

 ** _Hope you liked it! Please review!_**


	31. Chapter 31

_**A/N: Please don't hate me...**_

 _ **Tallyho?**_

* * *

 **Chapter 31:**

 _May 2001_

The rest of Harry and Hermione's 'staycation' was quite uneventful. He had scheduled a couples massage for them- something Hermione was incredibly grateful for- he took her to a play in the West End, and surprised her with brunch with her parents. By the time the two of them returned home, both felt much lighter than from when they had left.

"Unca Harry!" a voice said moments after they had apparated into the foyer of the manor. Harry had mere seconds to prepare himself for a black haired Teddy running into his arms. Harry laughed as his godson hugged him tightly while Hermione just looked confused until Andromeda walked out of the piano room smiling to herself. "Hi. I hope you don't mind that we're here," she explained. "Teddy was insistent on seeing you when you got home and when I spoke to Dahlia, she insisted that we come over."

"We don't mind at all," Hermione said, smiling. "It's a pleasure to have you here."

"Unca Harry, guess what!" Teddy said.

"What's that, Teddy?" Harry asked.

"We had an esplosion at our house!"

" _Teddy_ ," Andromeda scolded, sternly. Teddy recoiled from Andromeda's tone, burrowing closer to Harry.

"Andy, what is he talking about?" Harry asked. Andromeda shook her head but Harry persisted. "Andy, what's wrong?"

Andromeda sighed. "We had several pipes burst at my house last night and the entire place is flooded."

"Oh my goodness," Hermione said. "How bad is the damage?"

"I'm still waiting on the final report from my plumber but I have a strong feeling it's not going to be good news," she shrugged and bit her lip. "That's kind of the reason I didn't object to Teddy wanting to come here. I hate to do this, but would you mind watching Teddy until I can get everything fixed?"

"Not at all," Harry answered. "We love having him here so it's no problem; really."

Andromeda smiled in relief. "Thank you."

"Where will you stay?" Hermione asked.

Andromeda shrugged. "Cissa's actually. She offered and, well, it'd be nice to spend some alone time with my sister."

Hermione smiled and nodded in understanding while Teddy looked to Harry. "Does that mean I get to stay with you Unca Harry?"

Harry laughed and kissed his godson's head. "Yes, Teddy, it does."

"There's something else I'd like to discuss with you two if it's at all possible?" Andromeda asked, her demeanor becoming much more serious. "Alone," she said, glancing to Teddy.

Hermione and Harry furrowed their brows but nodded. "Dahlia," Harry said. The little elf appeared and smiled at him. "Could you take Teddy up to his room please?"

"Yes, Master Harry," Dahlia said.

Harry put Teddy down and he happily followed the little elf to his room while Harry and Hermione led Andromeda to the study. The three sat in silence as Andromeda twisted her wedding ring on her finger, trying to find the words to begin. "There's something you two need to know," she said. She sighed and linked her fingers together. "I'm sick."

"What do you mean?" Hermione said, her stomach clenching. By the look on Andromeda's face, she knew this wasn't any ordinary cold or flu.

"About four months ago, I started feeling incredibly ill. Worse than I've ever felt in my life. When I went to a Healer, they couldn't find what was wrong so they gave me a couple of pain potions and sent me on my way. But the potions didn't work; I continued to feel horrible and it was getting worse. So I went to a muggle doctor to see if they could give me some insight." Hermione put her hand over Harry's and squeezed, fearing the worst. "The doctor diagnosed me with a muggle ailment called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I'm sure you know what it is."

Hermione closed her eyes and squeezed Harry's hand tightly while Harry felt his heart drop. "You- you have _cancer_?"

Andromeda nodded. "The doctor said it was spreading fast and, after explaining what we would need to do, he insisted that we start treatment immediately." She wiped away a tear and sighed. "I said no."

" _What_?" Hermione said looking at the older woman in disbelief. "Andromeda, you _need_ to start treatment! It could be the only way to save your life!"

Andromeda shook her head. "I don't want the treatment." At Harry and Hermione's horrified expressions, she elaborated. "I looked into the treatment; chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, etc. I don't want to go through that. I _won't_."

"Andy-" Harry said but she cut him off.

"Please, just listen to me," she pleaded. "The doctor gave me an estimate of eight months to live but something in my gut is telling me it's going to be less." Tears were falling down her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away. "I'm _tired_. I'm so tired. I miss my husband and my daughter and this world has taken so much from me already. But it will _not_ take my dignity. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die with my head held high." She took Hermione's hand in hers and held on tight. "I'm telling you this because I have a very important question for you both," she said. Harry and Hermione nodded and Andromeda continued. "Will you two adopt Teddy? Raise him as your own, even?"

That simple question broke something in Hermione and she burst into tears and threw her arms around Andromeda. Andromeda held her tight as she cried into her shoulder while Harry fought his own tears. "Shh," Andromeda said, "there's no need to cry. I've made peace with my decision. I'll only feel better knowing that you two would take Teddy in and treat him like the son I know you already see him as."

Hermione pulled out of the embrace and sniffled. "Yes, we'll absolutely adopt him. We won't let you down, Andy; I promise."

Andromeda brushed a couple curls behind Hermione's ear and smiled. "I know you won't. And I know he'll have a wonderful life here growing up with you two as his parents."

The couple gave her watery smiles and nodded. "Who else have you told?" Hermione asked.

"Just Narcissa," she answered. "She was the first person I went to after I found out. I- I haven't found it in my heart to tell Draco yet but I will. Perhaps tomorrow as he said he'd be coming by the orphanage."

"The orphanage," Hermione whispered. "Oh, Andy, you've done so much good there. Who will continue after-" she stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

"Molly and Luna will do a fine job of running the place. And Cissa even offered to help out now and then as well; she's been looking for something to occupy herself with after my news. I think working at the orphanage would be good for her; it'd help her stay close to me after I'm gone."

"What about Teddy?" Harry asked.

Andromeda shook her head. "Don't tell him; when I pass, it will be hard enough for him to understand what happened. I don't want him to find out about my being sick until he's older and- and he'll be able to understand why I kept it from him."

Harry nodded. "We'll take good care of him, Andy. We'll make you and Tonks and Remus and Ted so proud; I hope."

Andromeda smiled. "I know you will," she said.

Hermione sniffled again. "We love you, you know," she said. "I know we never really said it but we really do."

Andromeda wiped away a tear. "I know; and I love you both too."

* * *

 _May 2001_

"Hermione, is something wrong?" Liz asked. She, Josh, and Hermione had been sitting on the back patio of the Granger's house and Hermione had been abnormally quiet all afternoon.

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Josh and Liz waited as Hermione gathered her thoughts. Finally, she spoke. "Andromeda's dying," she said quietly.

"What?" Liz said in disbelief.

"She came to Harry and I about a week ago and explained to us that she has Leukemia and it's spreading fast. She told us that she didn't want to go through the treatment because she wanted to die with some dignity." Tears were running down her face as she explained her heartbreak to her parents. "She- she wants us to adopt Teddy. She wants us to raise him as our own." She sniffled. "We said yes."

Liz wrapped an arm around her daughter. "You're doing the right thing, Hermione."

She nodded. "I know; I just hate that it's happening because of this reason." She sniffled again. "It's not fair. We've lost so many people already; we shouldn't have to keep losing them."

"Sometimes things happen that we can't explain," Liz said. "For some reason, it's Andromeda's time to go. But at least she'll be able to rest easy knowing that her grandson is going to be raised by two people who love him unconditionally."

Hermione nodded. "I'm scared, Mum."

Liz held her daughter close as she cried while Josh wrapped his arms around both his wife and daughter, wishing he could take away this heartbreak from his little girl.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

"I don't know what to do," Harry said.

"Well, you're going to take your godson in, right?" Melody asked.

Harry nodded. "Of course. There's no question about it; but… I don't know the first thing about being a father. Let alone being a good one." He sighed. "I've never really had a good example of what a good father is supposed to do."

"Well, you can still be a good father despite not having a good example," Melody said. "I want you to tell me something: say, you take Teddy to the park and he falls and scrapes his knee and begins to cry. What would you do?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Just go with it. What would you do in that situation?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I guess I'd comfort him and tell him it was going to be okay and I'd cast a healing charm on his knee and then…" A small smile grew on his face, "I guess I'd spoil him and take him out for ice cream to help him feel better."

Melody smiled a little and wrote something down in her notes. "Okay, say Teddy's just started his first year at Hogwarts and you get a letter home saying that Teddy was caught duelling another student. What would you do?"

"I'd pull him aside and get his side of the story then explain that you can't go around duelling your classmates no matter how badly they anger you. You don't have to like all of them but you do need to take the higher ground when someone says something you don't like. I would know considering I'm speaking from experience."

"Okay; say you and Hermione decide to try for another baby and the pregnancy goes well this time but Teddy has concerns that you two will forget about him after the baby's born. What would you tell him?"

"We would never forget about him," Harry said, offended by the very idea of it. "He is our son, no matter what, and nothing would ever change that." Melody gave Harry a knowing look and he furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Harry, I don't think you have to worry about being a good father; I think you're going to be one of the best."

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," she confirmed. "Everything you just told me reassures me of that. You're not the only one who's ever feared fatherhood, Harry. Every man who's been told they're going to be a father has always had the fear that he won't be a good one but he always turns out just fine; just like you will. If what you just told me is any indication, Teddy will be lucky to have you and Hermione as his parents."

* * *

 _May - June 2001_

The process to adopt Teddy went much faster than usual due to Harry's status as "Savior of the Wizarding World." Normally, he'd roll his eyes at the special treatment but, under the circumstances, he was grateful for it.

Teddy had been thrilled to discover that he'd been adopted and would be living full time with Harry and Hermione; he wasted no time in switching from Unca Harry and Auntie 'Mione to Daddy and Mummy. The first time he had called Harry "Daddy," Harry had nearly burst into tears and hugged his godson- now son- close.

As for Andromeda's house, it was repaired and sold after Teddy was adopted and Andromeda moved into Malfoy Manor full time- Narcissa had insisted, wanting to spend as much time with her sister as possible.

Adjusting to their new living conditions with Teddy was easier than Harry and Hermione expected. Teddy adjusted to his room right away and _loved_ the muggle toys that Liz and Josh had bought for him. When he wasn't playing with his toys or chasing Crookshanks around the house, Hermione was teaching Teddy how to play the piano and Harry would take him flying in the back garden nearly every night.

At night, they would read Teddy a muggle story until he fell asleep, happily snuggled with the teddy bear- appropriately named Bear- that Harry had given him the day they had Teddy move into the manor. Despite Andromeda's illness hanging over their heads, Harry and Hermione couldn't help but admit that they enjoyed having Teddy live with them. It made them- especially Harry- feel like they had a real family of their own.

* * *

 _June 2001_

As the weeks passed, Andromeda became weaker and weaker with each passing day. She tried to visit Teddy every day but as time went on, it became more difficult for her to travel by floo so Harry began taking Teddy to her. Although Teddy didn't understand what was wrong with his grandmother, he knew that she was sick and always insisted on bringing her some soup to help her get better. It brought a smile to Andromeda's face every time.

Anytime Harry visited the manor, Narcissa was always by her sister's side, enjoying every last moment they had together. Draco wasn't around so much as he hadn't taken the news of Andromeda's illness well and had run off to Berlin to be with Astoria while he coped.

Lucius, on the other hand, would make appearances now and then and was always kind when speaking to Andromeda. Harry wasn't sure if it was because Narcissa had asked him to be or because he felt bad that Andromeda was suffering, but either way, it was clear Andromeda appreciated the effort.

Andromeda celebrated her 50th birthday surrounded by her family- including Draco, who had come back to spend some time with her. It had been a happy affair full of laughter and joy. Andromeda had smiled so much that evening that just for a little while, everyone, including herself, forgot that she was sick.

The happiness wouldn't last, however.

Just three days after her birthday, Andromeda died.

Hermione woke to the sound of a tapping on the window. She opened her eyes to find the Malfoy's black barn owl tapping at the window, fervently, with a letter tied to its leg. She threw the covers off of her and ran to the window, letting the owl in. She quickly untied the letter from the owl's leg and barely registered that the owl left immediately after as she stared at the handwriting on the envelope; it was Draco's.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, shifting around the bed. He put his glasses on and saw his wife standing by the window looking a letter. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

She took a shaky breath and spoke. "It's a letter; from Draco."

Harry perked up at this immediately, his stomach already in knots. Hermione hesitantly walked back to the bed and sat next to Harry. She took a deep breath and opened up the envelope with shaky hands while Harry rubbed her back soothingly, reading over her shoulder.

 _20 June 2001_

 _Harry and Hermione,_

 _I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but I'm afraid I have some very sad news: Andromeda passed away last night. It was peaceful and in her sleep. Mother is absolutely distraught and Father's trying to console her, leaving me with the unfortunate job of having to break the news to everyone._

 _I don't know when the funeral will be but I imagine Mother and Father will want to arrange it for as soon as possible. As soon as I have more information, I'll let you know._

 _Please know how grateful we are for you two being so kind to Andromeda and for bringing my mother and her back together. I think Andromeda will rest peacefully knowing that she and her sister had repaired their relationship before she passed._

 _I'll leave the job of telling Teddy to you two._

 _I'll be in touch. Until then, take care of yourselves and Teddy. See you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Draco._

Hermione sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Well, at least she's not in pain anymore," Hermione said.

"And she's with Ted again and Tonks and Remus," Harry continued.

A small smile grew on her lips. "Yeah," she whispered. She took Harry's hand in hers and squeezed. "We should go tell Teddy," she said.

Harry nodded and followed his wife out of the room and to Teddy's room just down the hall. They cracked open the door to find Teddy wide awake and staring at the ceiling, his teddy bear lying next to him and his usual bright blue hair was it's natural brown color. Hermione glanced to Harry, confused, who shrugged before she walked into the room. "Hi, Teddy," she said, quietly. Teddy looked to her and smiled. "Hi mummy," he said.

Hermione's throat tightened and she sat on Teddy's bed, Harry sitting right next to her. "What are you doing awake?" Hermione asked.

Teddy shrugged. "I just am."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "Well, since you're awake, there's something we have to tell you; and it's not exactly easy."

"Is it about Gamma?" he asked, sitting up.

Harry nodded. "How did you know?"

"She visited me," he said, simply. Harry and Hermione looked confused so Teddy explained further. "She was in my dweam last night. She said goodbye and that she loved me." He cocked his head to the side confused when he noticed Hermione was crying. "Is that bad?"

Hermione shook her head and pulled Teddy into her lap. "No, sweetheart. That's good. But… what we wanted to tell you, Teddy… last night, Grandma died."

The look on Teddy's face said he already knew. "Is that why she said goodbye to me?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Teddy. She wanted to see you one last time before she died."

Teddy nodded. "Is she happy?"

Harry wiped away a stray tear and nodded. "Yes, Teddy. She's with your grandfather and your parents now. I think she's very happy."

"That's good," he said, thoughtfully. "Will I see her again?"

"Someday," Hermione answered.

Teddy nodded and rested his head against her shoulder. "I'll miss her," he said quietly.

Harry sniffed and wrapped his arm around Hermione. "Us too, Teddy. Us too."

* * *

 _June 2001_

Andromeda's funeral was held a week after her passing. Narcissa wanted to bury her in with the rest of the Black family but Harry and Hermione argued that she should be buried with her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. After Draco intervened and took Harry and Hermione's side, Narcissa relented and had Andromeda buried next to her husband.

The funeral itself was an elegant affair. Narcissa had arranged it all, of course, so it was no surprise that the service would be nothing short of perfect. While Narcissa shed no tears during the service, the tight grip she had on Lucius' hand showed just how much she was hurting.

The Weasleys cried and held onto each other as they said goodbye to Andromeda, the children from the orphanage each placed a tulip- Andromeda's favorite flower- onto the casket, and Harry gave a beautiful speech about the wonderful woman that Andromeda was and how grateful he was that he had been able to get to know her so well.

Teddy stood by Hermione quietly throughout the entire service, his hair its natural shade of brown. Although he didn't cry, it was clear he knew that his grandmother was gone and that she wouldn't be coming back.

When the service ended and everyone began to leave, Harry and Hermione stayed behind to speak with Molly, unaware that Teddy was watching his cousin stare at the tombstone where Andromeda now laid beneath, Astoria standing beside him, comforting him as he held back the tears.

Slipping his hand out from Hermione's, Teddy walked over to his cousin, ignoring Hermione's calls for him to come back. "Wait," Harry said as Hermione began to chase after Teddy. They watched as the toddler wandered next to his cousin and took his free hand in his. Draco looked down to his cousin and Teddy gave him a small smile.

"Don't be sad, Dwaco," he said. "Gamma's happy now. We can be happy that she's happy."

A tear fell down Draco's cheek as he picked up his cousin and held him close. Harry and Hermione watched, tears in their eyes, as they watched Draco and Teddy hold each other close and cry for the loss of the woman they both loved.

* * *

 _ **I'm so sorry.**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N: So, part of me feels bad for making you guys cry in the last chapter and another part of me is jumping for joy that 31 had the desired effect. Not sure what that says about me as a person...**_

 _ **ANYWAY, because you guys are so wonderful and your reviews have been amazing, I decided to spoil you (and cheer you up, 'cause you deserve it) with another chapter.**_

 _ **I promise, from here on out, the feels chapters will stay at a minimum.**_

 _ **Thank you again for all your love for this story. It keeps me going.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 32:**

 _July 2001_

Healer Alex Waters sat at his desk and listened as his top Healer ranted and paced in his office. She had come in with a purpose and, Merlin be damned, he was going to listen to her- whether or not he wanted to.

"We pride ourselves on being better than muggles because we can do magic and have abilities that they don't but in reality, we're so far behind the times!" Hermione said. "Muggles have _science_ ; science allows them to experiment and learn and expand their horizons while we stay in the Dark Ages! Muggles have the ability to detect cancer early on, they have the ability to _treat_ it while we just sit by and give people a pain potion because that's all we know to do in that situation.

"The only reason Andromeda even found out that she had cancer in the first place was because she went to a _doctor_. Had she never done that, she would have died without ever knowing what the cause was."

"But, Hermione, Andromeda is _one_ case of someone getting a muggle ailment. That's not enough support to open up a whole new department dedicated to muggle illnesses," Alex reasoned.

Hermione's fists clenched. "How about Adeline Bouvier's birth mother? She died due to a muggle ailment as well. We barely managed to save Adeline as it was while her birth mother _died_." Hermione sighed and sat down in a chair. "We're not invincible, Alex. Wizards have hardier immune systems but, if Adeline's birth mother and Andromeda are any indication, we're still susceptible to muggle illnesses." She ran her hands through her hair and sighed again. "I'm not saying I can cure these illnesses; muggles haven't even made that kind of a scientific discovery yet. But what I can do is research them; let me form a team and allow us to research muggle illnesses and compare them to wizard illnesses and eventually, we'll compare our immune systems and find out if there's a way that we can at least be better prepared for them for future reference. We've lost too many people already; _please_ , let me do this."

Alex sighed. "You have a good argument, Hermione, and knowing you personally, I'd have no problem setting up a new ward for you but we'd still have to get it by the Board of Medicine first."

"Okay, so what do we have to do to get it to the Board?"

Alex chuckled at Hermione's eagerness. "You'd need to arrange an argument as well as collect data; the two examples you have are good but if you want to convince the Board, you'll need more evidence. You'd then present your plan to the Board, supporting your argument with your evidence, then it'd be up to the board to decide."

"And if they decide yes?" she asked.

"We'll open up a new ward for you. You need to be prepared for the possibility that they might say no, too."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "If they do say no, do I have the opportunity to build a stronger case then bring it back to them?"

"Yes," Alex said.

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, her mind already running several miles a minute. "Okay; I'll get right on that. When can we arrange the meeting?"

"Bring your findings to me first," Alex said. "I'm interested in this theory you have, Hermione, and I'd like to see it become a reality. That being said, I want to make sure that what you present to the Board will convince them to open up a new ward. If you bring your research to me first, I can help you in deciding whether or not it's good enough to be presented to the Board."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Alex nodded. "Good luck, Hermione. I look forward to seeing how this plays out."

* * *

 _July 2001_

"You do realize what you're asking me to do here, right?" Astoria asked.

"I know how it sounds but I could really use your insight on this. I mean, you've just graduated from the best potions academy in the _world!_ And at the top of the class! With your knowledge, you could create a new potion right out of thin air if you wanted!" Hermione argued.

"Yes, but only if I know the ins and outs of the potion and what the result should be. Hermione, you're asking me to help you make a potion that detects and could even _cure_ muggle ailments in wizards when we don't even know _how_ to detect them let alone if it would work."

"That's why we'd be experimenting first."

"And who, exactly, would be the guinea pig for this?" Hermione bit her lip and Astoria furrowed her brows. "Who is it?"

"Do you know what a cadaver is?" Hermione asked.

"WHAT?!" Astoria asked. "You want to test this out on dead _bodies_?!"

"I know how it sounds but just trust me on this, okay? St. Mary's hospital in muggle London has a training program that helps trainee doctors learn about the human body. I've gotten permission from the Dean of Medicine at that hospital to take a couple of cadavers that we can use for testing."

"And just what did you tell the Dean of Medicine that we were using the cadavers for?" Astoria asked.

"I told him that I was a doctor who worked in very rural areas and was training those with little access to healthcare or education how to better take care of themselves and how to treat the body for various illnesses."

Astoria raised an eyebrow. "He bought that?"

"Yep;" Hermione said. "That, and I made a very generous donation to the hospital's research department. I'm not crazy about having to do that but desperate times call for desperate measures."

Astoria still seemed hesitant to the idea but Hermione persisted. "When these people die and donate their bodies to science, they're donating for this very reason; to test theories and help prevent what might've killed them from killing someone else. Besides, they're already dead so it's not as if we'll be causing them any harm." S he took Astoria's hands in her own. "We could save lives if we do this, Tori. Please, help me."

Astoria sighed and shook her head. "I must be out of my damn mind," she muttered, looking back to Hermione. "I'm in."

* * *

 _July 2001_

"What's this I hear that you've coaxed my sister into making an experimental potion that you're testing on dead _bodies_?" Daphne asked, walking into the study.

Hermione looked up, startled. She wasn't sure when Daphne had arrived, let alone, _how_ she got in the manor without alerting the elves but from the determined look in Daphne's eyes, she wouldn't be leaving until she got an answer to her question. "Look, Daph-" Hermione began.

"I want in," she said.

Hermione blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I want in. If you two are working some super special potion that's going to prevent what happened to Andromeda from happening again, I want in."

"There'll be more than one potion, Daph. And there's no guarantee that it'll stop it from happening again. All we're doing is right now is just researching and building our case to present to the Board of Medicine."

"Your point is?" Daphne asked, exasperated. "Look, I can help. I'm just as good a potion maker as Tori, plus I happen to know a lot about various uncommon plants that can be used in potions _and_ where to get them for incredibly cheap. Face it, you need me."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not saying we don't, Daph, but this isn't going to be an easy process. This could take _years_."

She shrugged. "Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Right you are."

"So?" Daphne asked.

"Welcome aboard," Hermione said.

* * *

 _July 2001_

"So where exactly is the money coming from for this experiment?" Astoria asked. "Since we're not being funded by the hospital yet, it's gotta be coming from somewhere."

Hermione bit her lip and took a sip of her drink. Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, do you know something we don't?"

Hermione swallowed and brushed some hair behind her ear. "I- the money is coming from me."

The sister's jaws dropped. "You mean you're paying for all of this out of pocket?" Astoria asked. Hermione nodded.

"Hermione, why didn't you tell us? We could help you!" Daphne said.

Hermione shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, guys, but I have it covered."

"Hermione-" Daphne said but Hermione cut her off by squeezing her hand.

"The thing is: a couple Christmas' ago, my dad gave me a check for £750,000. After I transferred it into wizard currency, I found out that it's worth quite a bit in our world. Not quite a small fortune but enough that all seven Weasleys- not including significant others- could most likely live comfortably for the rest of their lives. I kept it, however, because giving it to the Weasleys just seemed wrong. Some of it, I donated to the orphanage and the rest I just kept in my vault.

"Now that I have a purpose for it, I'm going to put it to good use. Until we can get enough evidence for the Board to agree to open up a new department and _fund_ us, this money will cover most of the expenses that we'll need. Since we're converting one of the rooms in the manor to our work space, that'll save us money right off the bat and the cadavers are already covered so we won't have to spend any more money on that. The money will be for any ingredients we need to buy and we'll have a fairly large cushion for anything that might be a bit more expensive. You two are helping me so much already, please don't worry about covering expenses too. If it gets to that point, I'll tell you but for now, that's the least of our worries."

The sisters looked to each other before looking back to Hermione. "If you say so," Astoria said.

"I do," Hermione smiled.

* * *

 _ **P.S. Hope this makes up for making you all cry earlier.**_

 _ **Thank you again for all your support!**_

 _ **Please review!**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: I just got home from driving 9 hours all day. Should I be doing homework? Yes. Am I? Nope.**_

 _ **So here, have a chapter as I procrastinate my way through the next three weeks until graduation. Wish me luck!**_

 _ **Oh, and smut alert! You've been warned.**_

 ** _Tallyho!  
_**

* * *

 **Chapter 33:**

 _July 2001_

Hermione was sitting on the bed, papers scattered around her when she heard the door creak open. She looked up to see Teddy peering into the bedroom, his hair color matching hers. "Hi Teddy," she smiled.

"Hi mummy," he said. "Can I come sit with you?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course you can, sweetheart." She pulled Teddy up onto the bed and sat him next to her while she began to organize her papers. "What are the papers for?" he asked.

Hermione placed the papers on her bedside table and looked back to Teddy. "I'm working on a big project for work right now. The papers are full of information and notes and research that I'm using for my project."

"Is it a good pwoject?" he asked.

She ran her fingers through his hair. "Yes, Teddy, it's a very good project. With any luck, it could eventually save people's lives."

"I hope it goes well," he said.

She chuckled. "Me too, love. Me too."

She began to get lost in her thoughts but was pulled out of them when Teddy tugged on her shirt. "Can you tell me a story?"

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Sure, Teddy. Let's get you tucked in first, okay?"

He nodded and Hermione tucked him into the bed, getting under the covers herself. Teddy snuggled up next to her and Hermione smiled. "Any requests?" He shook his head. "Okay well, let's see," Hermione said, thinking. "Oh, I know!" She cleared her throat and ruffled Teddy's hair. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Matilda," she began. "She was a very special little girl, you see, for Matilda could do magic."

"Like us!" Teddy exclaimed.

Hermione chuckled. "Yes, Teddy, like us. Except Matilda's powers were special. She didn't use a wand like witches and wizards; instead, she used her mind."

"Her mind?" Teddy asked, wide eyed.

"Yes, Teddy," she smiled. "It's known in our world as 'wandless magic' but muggles call it 'telekenisis.'"

"Tele- telekenvenus!" Teddy exclaimed.

Hermione chuckled. "Very close, Teddy."

"So did she save the world with her telekenvenus?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not quite. She saved herself, instead."

"How?"

"She used her powers for good instead of evil," a new voice said. Hermione and Teddy turned to see Harry standing in the door frame, smiling.

"Daddy!" Teddy exclaimed.

Harry wandered to the bed and placed a lingering kiss on Hermione's lips before picking Teddy up and spinning him around. "Hi Teddy."

"Daddy, guess what I did today!"

"What did you do?" Harry asked.

"I played the piano!"

Harry gasped. "You did? Did Mummy help you?"

Teddy nodded. "She pwessed the foot things while I got to hit the white things! I made pwetty music!"

"Really, now?" Harry asked, looking to Hermione. She smirked and nodded. "It was very pretty, Teddy," she said.

"Well, you'll have to play for me, sometime," Harry said.

"Okay!" Teddy said. "Now?"

Harry chuckled and kissed his forehead. "No, not right now. Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Teddy said, smiling. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Well," Harry said, looking at Hermione.

"Pleeeeaaasssseeeeeeeee!" Teddy begged.

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded. "Alright Teddy," Harry said. "Just for tonight."

"Yay!" Teddy squealed. Harry placed him back on the bed and Teddy curled up next to Hermione, grinning.

"You _do_ know that the phrase 'Just for tonight' almost _never_ happens the way you want it to," Hermione said as Harry began to change clothes.

He laughed. "Yes, I know. But could you say 'no' to that face?"

Hermione looked to Teddy who was holding on tightly to her, eyes drooping and a blissful smile on his face. She chuckled and kissed his forehead. "No, I suppose not. How was the game?" she asked as her husband crawled into bed with her.

"Good," he replied. The Cannons lost, big surprise there."

She chuckled. "Was Ron disappointed?"

"What do you think?" Harry said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, he'll get over it," she said. They heard a quiet snore and looked down to find Teddy had fallen fast asleep.

Harry chuckled and looked back to his wife, kissing her softly. "I miss you," he said, quietly.

"I'm right here," she replied.

"I know that," he said. "It's just… ever since Teddy came to live with us, I feel like the amount of alone time we get has dropped dramatically. Don't get me wrong, I love our little family and I love Teddy with everything in me; I just miss the alone time that you and I used to have."

She nodded in understanding. "Lucky for you, I've been thinking the same thing. Which is why I wanted to run something by you: I was thinking that, for your birthday, we could take Teddy to my parent's place and just come back here and have a night to ourselves. I can ask the elves to take a night off, I can cook dinner, we can relax, and just spend time together. What do you think?"

He smiled. "I think that sounds like a lovely idea."

* * *

 _31 July 2001_

"Now you be good for Granny and Grandad, okay, Teddy?" Hermione said. "Don't go causing any trouble."

"I won't, Mummy," Teddy said, clutching his teddy bear.

Hermione smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay? And after breakfast with Granny and Grandad, we'll all go see the Weasleys and you'll get to play with Victoire!"

Teddy grinned at that and nodded. "Vicky!" he exclaimed.

Hermione smiled and picked him up. "Say bye bye to Daddy," she said.

"Bye Daddy!" Teddy said, waving to Harry. Harry kissed his son on the forehead and smiled. "See you soon, kiddo."

Hermione adjusted Teddy's overnight bag on her shoulder then apparated out of the manor, Teddy holding on tightly to her. When Hermione appeared in the Granger's kitchen, Liz let out a yelp. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to that manner of transportation," she said.

Hermione laughed. "Sorry, mum."

Liz shook her head. "Not to worry, dear."

"Gammy!" Teddy said, reaching for Liz. She grinned and took her grandson in her arms. "Well, hello Teddy," she said.

"Today's Daddy's birfday!" Teddy exclaimed.

"I know," Liz said, smiling. "Do you know how old he is?" Teddy thought for a moment before holding up five fingers. Liz laughed and shook her head. "Five? I don't think that's right."

Hermione chuckled. "Daddy's twenty-one today, Teddy."

"Wow, that's old!" the toddler exclaimed causing both Hermione and Liz to burst into laughter. "I certainly hope not," Liz said. "Otherwise, I'd be ancient!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Here's Teddy's bag and Bear," she said, handing the bag and teddy bear over to her mother. "If there's anything you need, you know how to reach us. We'll be home most of the night so don't hesitate to call if you need something."

"We'll be fine, Hermione," Liz said. "Go enjoy your evening and we'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks again, mum," she said.

"It's our pleasure, love."

"Give dad my love!"

"Will do. Now go! Your husband's waiting for you!"

Hermione laughed and kissed Teddy's forehead one last time before apparating back to the manor only to be pinned against the wall seconds after she arrived by Harry. He stared at her hungrily, his body pressed against hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the green eyes she loved so much.

"Harry," she said but couldn't finish her sentence as Harry cut her off with a passionate kiss. She moaned as his mouth left hers and left a trail of kisses down her neck. She gasped when he nipped at her neck. "Harry, the elves-"

"Have the night off and won't be back until the morning. We have the whole place to ourselves," he said, his voice husky. A chill ran up her back as his breath hit her neck and she ran her hands up his chest. "What about dinner?" she asked.

"Hm, I'm craving something a little different than food right now," he said, kissing her jaw.

She took in a shaky breath. "Can we at least go upstairs first? I'd rather not get rug burns on my arse."

Harry chuckled and nodded, following Hermione upstairs to their bedroom. As soon as the door closed, Harry had pinned her again and was kissing her with so much passion, she thought she'd faint. Immediately his hands travelled to the hem of her shirt and slid it off her body, his hands running along her bare sides in the process. Once her shirt was off, he unhooked her bra and threw it to the side, latching his mouth onto her nipple while his hands gripped her arse.

She moaned as he sucked on her nipple and she worked as well as she could to rid Harry of his shirt, struggling a bit as her hands were shaking from the pleasure he was already causing her. He broke away from her long enough so she could take his shirt off him and they could strip each other of their trousers and underwear before he tackled her to the bed and kissed down her neck and chest while she ran her fingers through his hair.

His fingers ran down her body before rubbing her clit, causing her to gasp and grind her hips against his fingers. "Harry," she said, her voice cracking as Harry lowered his face to her clit and began to lick her. She moaned in desperation, her fingers tangled in his hair, his hands gripping her hips tightly as he pleasured her with his mouth.

She wasn't sure how long he kept at it, licking and sucking and nipping, always stopping _just_ before she came. While it was agonizing, it was also incredibly sexy that he had this much control over her.

When he finally stopped teasing her, she groaned in frustration but it didn't last long as Harry kissed his way up her body once more, barely giving her a chance to catch her breath before he entered her with one thrust. She cried out in pleasure and just enjoyed the feel of him resting inside of her. He took her hands and placed them above her head, holding them there as he kissed her softly. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied, just as quietly.

He kissed her again, more passionately as he began to thrust in and out of her. She arched her back and squeezed his hands tightly as he thrusted faster. She broke their kiss to throw her head back and moan as Harry kissed down her neck. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Harry began to thrust even _faster_ to the point that they were both moaning loudly. She came just moments later, crying out Harry's name; he followed two thrusts after.

She wasn't sure how, but the next thing she knew, she and Harry were cuddled together under the covers, skin against skin, sharing kisses and sweet caresses. They laid in bed together for another hour before Harry finally got out of bed. "Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"I just want to grab something from downstairs. I'll be right back," he said, smiling. She returned his smile and watched as he wandered downstairs, wrapping a robe around his naked body.

She sat up and wrapped her own robe around herself then wandered to her dressing table to check her appearance. She put her hair up into a messy bun and furrowed her brows in frustration as she saw a small bruise starting to appear on her neck. "Ugh, really Harry?" she said.

Taking her wand, she performed a quick healing spell on the bruise and nodded in satisfaction as she watched it fade. Happy that she no longer had a love bite, she wandered into the bathroom and splashed some water onto her face and neck in an attempt to cool down from her and Harry's love making.

As she dried her face, she heard Harry call out for her. "Hermione?"

"I'm in here," she answered. She walked out of the bathroom to find a tray of food sitting on the bed and Harry holding a bottle of Firewhiskey in one hand and two glasses in the other. "Oh, Harry," she said. "I was going to cook you dinner."

Harry smiled and shrugged. "I know but I wanted to do something for you so I made this," he gestured to the tray full of various food items. "Consider it your birthday present to me: letting me take care of you."

She smiled and nodded as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. They sat down on the bed and dug into the dinner Harry had made for them. As they ate, Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and spoke. "So, speaking of birthday presents, I have something for you," she said.

"You do?" Harry asked.

She nodded and summoned a box from the closet with her wand. She smiled and handed it to him. "Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry opened up the box and laughed as he pulled out a stuffed lion toy. "Oh, this is just adorable," Harry said, smiling.

Hermione's smile grew. "Teddy helped me pick it out. He named it Pebbles." Harry laughed at that and nodded in approval. Hermione bit her lip. "I remembered how you said that you never had any real toys of your own because they were all hand-me-downs from Dudley so… well, I thought that it was time you got your own stuffed animal," she said.

Harry held the lion close as he listened to Hermione's explanation. "Hermione, that's- that's so thoughtful. Thank you."

"There's one more thing," she said, pointing to one of the lion's legs. Harry looked at it and pulled off a watch with a leather wristband and black facing. "This is great, Hermione, thank you," he said. She said nothing, however and tapped the watch with her wand and watched in anticipation as Harry's jaw dropped and tears filled his eyes.

The watch had transformed into a smaller version of the Weasley clock, but it had his, Hermione, and Teddy's faces on it; the locations on the watch said _Home, School, Work, Travelling, Family, Quidditch, Lost,_ and _Mortal Peril_. "Family?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "It was originally going to be 'grandparents' but then I realized it wouldn't pick it up if Teddy were at Daphne and Ron's or something. So I just put 'family' since it would qualify for everyone we consider family." Harry nodded in understanding and looked back to the watch, tears filling his eyes.

"The watch face works too," Hermione said. "All you have to do is tap the watch with your wand and say _Recensere_. It'll change the watch face automatically."

Harry sniffled and looked at her. "This is amazing. Thank you so much."

She smiled and kissed his lips softly. "Happy birthday, my love," she whispered.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	34. Interlude III

_**A/N: Happy Monday! Here's a joke for you: Where do pencil's go on vacation? (Answer at end of chapter)**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 34 (Interlude):**

 _5 August 2001_

"If we could have everyone's attention, we have an announcement to make," George said, standing up.

Everyone at the table turned their attention to George and Angelina, waiting for the announcement. Angelina glanced at George and grinned before showing off her left hand. "We're engaged!" she exclaimed.

Immediately Ginny jumped up from the table and hug tackled Angelina, squealing with excitement. After a moment everyone got up and hugged the happy couple, congratulating them. "Well, don't congratulate us yet," George said, "because you're about to hate us."

"Why's that, dear?" Molly said, wiping away happy tears.

"Because we're getting married next week."

" _WHAT_?!" several people exclaimed.

"Next week? But why so soon?" Arthur asked.

Angelina shrugged. "We don't want to wait. It just seems silly to us, putting in a bunch of effort and money into just one day. But we still wanted everyone to be there so we decided we'd just have a small ceremony with a little celebration afterwards and then, that'd be it."

"But a week isn't a whole lot of time; there's a lot of plans to be made and-"

"Don't you worry about that, mum," George said. "Angie's already got a dress she wants to wear, I'll wear some decent dress robes, we can use some of the flowers from the meadow, and we can all pitch in for dinner afterwards."

"You're more than welcome to use the elves," Hermione said. "They love to cook for big parties and I'm sure they'd be happy to help out with another wedding."

George grinned at Hermione and nodded in thanks. "Even better."

"But what about bridesmaids and groomsmen?" Molly asked.

Angelina shook her head. "There won't be any. We want this to be as simple as possible so no bridal party, no best man or maid of honor. Just us," she said, smiling at George.

"What about the location?" Molly asked.

George shrugged. "We figured we'd just get married in the meadow. It's romantic _and_ inexpensive since, you know, you own the land."

Arthur chuckled at that but Molly was not having it. "Okay; then who will officiate?" she asked.

George started. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Harry, mate," he said, clapping Harry on the back, "would you officiate our wedding?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Me?"

"Yeah, you! You've always been there for us and well, Angie and I agree that it wouldn't be right to get married without our favorite Seeker marrying us."

Harry grinned and nodded. "I'd be honored, George. Thank you."

"Thank _you,_ Harry," Angelina said.

George grinned and looked back to his mother. "See? Another thing on the list taken care of."

Molly sighed in resignation. "It's not what I would have wanted for you but, if you're sure, then I guess we'll make it work."

George smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek. "We're sure, mum. We just don't see a point in waiting, that's all."

Molly smiled and nodded. "Well then, I'm very excited for you both and I can't wait for you to be part of the family, Angelina."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Angelina said.

Molly shook her head. "That will be your title soon. From now on, just call us Molly and Arthur. It'll be less confusing, anyway."

Angelina grinned at that and George kissed her cheek, before Molly squealed in excitement and gave her son a bone crushing hug.

* * *

 _11 August 2001_

To say George and Angelina's wedding was unconventional was an understatement.

Molly nearly fell over when she saw that Angelina was wearing a _short_ wedding dress- "It's just not proper," she had said to Ginny, who rolled her eyes at her mother. Their vows were particularly quick, a firework show lit up the sky as they shared their first kiss as man and wife, and, instead of a first dance, they flew around the Burrow property on some new brooms George had bought them while the space below was prepared for a delicious dinner prepared by the Potter elves.

Dinner was a loud but happy affair. George and Angelina kept everyone laughing by sharing different stories of their time at school together and any time Fred's name was brought up, it was with fondness instead of sadness that they would think about him with.

Despite it being a bit unconventional, no one would deny that George and Angelina's wedding would be the one everyone remembered for laughing the whole night away.

* * *

 _Late August 2001_

Several weeks after their wedding, George and Angelina made _another_ announcement: Angelina was pregnant.

"Oh, I'm so happy!" Molly cried holding onto Angelina. "Another grandbaby! Oh, this day just can't get any better!"

"Lighten up, mum, don't squeeze my wife to death!" George exclaimed.

Molly let go of Angelina and immediately began to fuss over her. "Oh, I didn't hurt you, did I? Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Angelina laughed. "That's quite alright Molly; I'm fairly sturdy so you don't have to worry about hurting me." Molly grinned then pulled George into a bone crushing hug, still crying, while the rest of the family watched in amusement.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Bit of a filler, I know, but it's needed to move the story along._**

 ** _Answer to the joke: PENCIL-VANIA! Ha! Okay, I'll see myself out._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: I have a job interview today... wish me luck!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 35:**

 _September 2001_

Narcissa watched in fascination as the three women moved about the room and around each other easily. Never once, did any of the women bump into one another or anything else. It was clear the three had been working with each other for a while.

"How are you testing your theories?" she asked.

"We need to compare muggle immune systems to wizard immune systems by testing blood from both muggles and wizards. Wizards have a stronger immune system than muggles because of the magic that's running through our bodies but but it's obviously not strong enough to keep us from getting serious muggle illnesses," Hermione explained.

"We're just trying to figure out just how different are our immune systems right now. Once we figure that out, we can start our research into what wizarding resources we can use to treat the illness or maybe even cure it, if we're lucky," Daphne continued.

"While they're doing that, I'm starting various theories on different ingredients that could go into a potion that would potentially attack the cancer virus in a person or even reinforce their immune system from getting the cancer at all," Astoria explained. "Once I have a general idea of the outcome of a potion, I'll make it, then test it on one of the cadavers to ensure that it won't kill anyone. Once we have a general idea of what it does, we'll begin to test it on mice."

Narcissa frowned at that. "Isn't that a bit inhumane?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't like it either. But the only way we can be sure that the potion is absolutely safe to give to humans without risking their life is by testing it on another living creature."

"Where are the mice coming from anyway?" Narcissa asked.

"The Hogwarts greenhouses," a new voice said. Narcissa turned around to find Draco walking into the room, carrying a small cage full of gray mice. "Hello mother," he said, kissing her cheek. Astoria walked over and took the cage from Draco and kissed him on the lips before moving the mice to a corner shelf in the room where they wouldn't be in the way. "The greenhouses have been having a bit of a rodent problem for a while now," Draco explained. "Longbottom's managed to get it mostly under control by the use of a couple rat snakes but he's still finding them around the area. So we caged a few of them up and here they are."

Daphne groaned. "Why'd they have to be so cute?" she said, looking at the mice wander around the cage.

Astoria furrowed her brows. "You hate mice."

"I don't hate them, I just don't want them in my house. This is Hermione's house, so it's okay," Daphne said.

"Gee, thanks; I'm sure Harry will be thrilled by that idea," Hermione said sarcastically causing Astoria to laugh.

"So, say you get the results you want from the mice testing," Narcissa said. "What happens next?"

Astoria sobered and looked to Hermione who sighed. "That's the tricky part: what we'd need to start doing next is testing our findings on patients who actually have muggle illnesses."

"Problem with that is: we can't test on people without the Board's okay but we can't expand our research without testing," Astoria continued. "So, until we find a solution, we're stuck."

"Actually, I might have a way for us to get around that snag," Daphne said. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the blonde and she blushed at the attention. "I- well, _Ron_ actually, found this place in Oslo. It's a facility that does the same kind of research that we're doing. It's different because they're focusing solely on wizard immune systems while we're looking at both wizard _and_ muggle but they've noticed the same pattern you have, Hermione."

"You said _Ron_ found this place?" Astoria asked. "How'd he come across it?"

Daphne shrugged. "All the years he's been friends with Hermione taught him how to research really well," she said.

Hermione scoffed. "If only he'd bother to use said skills while we were still in school."

Daphne laughed. "Well, we can't have everything." She pulled a file out of her research stack and handed it to Hermione. The brunette read the file while Astoria and a curious Draco read over her shoulder. "According to the findings that the facility has sent me," Daphne said, "there's been a rise of cases of muggle ailments appearing in witches and wizards over the last six years."

"Six years?" Astoria asked. "Why are we only finding out about this now?"

Daphne shrugged. "I can name two reasons: one, when their research started, they were only checking the areas around Scandinavia. They thought it was a regional disease at first; something in the water, perhaps. It wasn't until a muggleborn Healer started to expand the potential options that cancer came into the picture. Turns out their theory was right and they've been expanding their research on cancer and other muggle ailments in wizards ever since. And two, for the three of the past six years, England's been in the middle of a war with Voldemort. No one was focusing on how people were dying because everyone just assumed they were murdered by Death Eaters. And after the war, no one considered that wizards were susceptible to muggle ailments until Hermione's theory. I have to admit, Hermione's right; the English wizarding world tends to live in the Dark Ages because we refuse to look at other options, thinking that our way is the best way."

"Forgive me, I don't understand," Narcissa said. "How does this help you with your research?"

"Well, assuming all our testing on the mice goes according to plan, we'd be able to go to the facility in Oslo and work with some of the Healers there and test our findings on the patients that have the same or similar illnesses like the ones Andromeda and Adeline's birth mother had."

"Can we do that legally?" Astoria asked.

Her sister nodded. "I've been looking into every single rulebook there is and there is no rule or law that says we cannot test our findings in international waters. So, if we have success in Oslo, we'd be able to bring the results back and show them to the Board and they wouldn't be able to disqualify it because there's no ruling against it."

"So, this could fix our problem-" Astoria began.

"And we'd have strong enough evidence to get the Board to back our proposal," Daphne finished.

Astoria grinned. "Daph, you're a bloody genius," she said, causing her sister to smile.

"So, these findings," Draco said, still looking at the file in Hermione's hand, "with the rise in wizards and witches dying of muggle illnesses… does that mean it's getting worse?"

"No," Hermione said quietly. "It's always been there. Since we're starting to research it, we're starting to recognize the symptoms and ailments so it only seems like it's getting worse. But really, we've just been incredibly blind." She sniffled and placed the file on the table in front of her. "Excuse me, I have- I have to do a thing."

She nearly ran out of the room, leaving everyone else dumbfounded. "What's gotten into her?" Draco asked.

"I think I know," Narcissa said. She squeezed Daphne's shoulder and smiled. "You finish what you're doing; I'll talk to her."

Daphne nodded and watched as Narcissa followed Hermione out of the room.

The first place Narcissa checked was the study but frowned when she saw the room empty. "She's outside," the portrait of Sirius said when he saw his cousin's confused expression.

She nodded. "Thank you," she said. She walked to the back garden and felt her heart swell with sadness when she found Hermione curled up on the porch swing, tears running down her face. "She wouldn't want you to agonize over this, you know," she said, startling Hermione.

Hermione wiped the tears away with her sleeves and shrugged. "I know," she said quietly.

Narcissa joined Hermione on the swing and squeezed her hand. "You can't blame yourself for Andy's death, Hermione," she said.

Hermione sniffled. "But the facility in Oslo has been doing research on this for _years_! Had I known, I- had I just done more research, I-"

"Could have saved her?" Narcissa finished.

Hermione choked back a sob and nodded. Narcissa sighed. "I can't say I know how you feel; you have the whole world of medicine at your fingertips and yet you feel so helpless because you couldn't help the person who meant so much to you." Hermione nodded in response. "I don't know how that feels," Narcissa continued. "But I do know this: I didn't talk to my sister for over thirty years; and in one night I had her back because of you; because you thought of me while planning a celebration for my sister. For the short time I had her back in my life, I was incredibly happy. And I will look back on that time with such fondness. I'll miss her dearly." She squeezed Hermione's hand again. "But it was thanks to you that we got to spend this last year together; and I'll forever be grateful to you for bringing us back together." Narcissa wrapped an arm around Hermione and held her close while tears fell down the latter's face. "You may not have been able to save her life, but you brought so much happiness into her life while she was still with us. You and I- we can both rest easy knowing that when she died, she died happy and loved. And sometimes, that's the best that you can do for a person."

Hermione began to sob and Narcissa pulled her closer and held onto the girl tightly. "I know; I miss her too," she said, tears running down her own face.

* * *

 _September 2001_

Hermione was working in the lab alone, writing notes down in her journal when Harry knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" he asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Of course," she said.

He smiled and walked towards her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "How's it going?"

She sighed. "It's going. It's too early to know _where_ we're going but it's going."

Harry chuckled and rubbed circles into her shoulders. She groaned and dropped her head as he continued to rub her tense muscles. "Where's Teddy?" she asked.

"In his room, working on a puzzle. I just left him, actually, to come check on you," Harry answered. He put some pressure on a particularly tense muscle in Hermione's shoulder and she groaned in pain, clenching her hand into a fist. "Sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "Don't be; you're doing wonderful things to my shoulders," she said. Harry rubbed her shoulders and back for a little longer before stopping when Hermione sighed. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I just- I feel like I'm not being a very good mother," she said, quietly.

Harry frowned. "What makes you say that?"

She sighed again. "I'm just thinking- between work and all the research we've been doing, I feel like I've been neglecting both you and Teddy."

Harry squeezed her shoulders. "You've been busy, love. There's nothing wrong with that."

She shrugged. "Still, I haven't been the most attentive wife lately and I need to ensure that Teddy doesn't feel like he comes second to work. You two are my top priorities and I feel like I've put you both on the back burner. I'm sorry," she said.

Harry put a finger underneath her chin and tilted her face up so he could look at her properly. "There's nothing to be sorry for, love," he said. "However, if you're insisting on feeling bad, I can think of a way you could make it up to me," he winked. She blushed and giggled but it was cut off when Harry kissed her on the lips, leaving her a bit breathless when they broke apart. "And as for Teddy, he knows you love him. And I know he still loves you dearly despite your being busy."

Hermione smiled and leaned into Harry, wrapping her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head. "What do you say you take the rest of the night off and come finish that puzzle with Teddy and me? We can have Dahlia bring dinner up to his room and we'll just spend the night together as a family," he said.

She pulled out of the embrace and smiled up at him. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," she said.

Harry grinned and took her by the hand, leading her out of the lab and to Teddy's room where they found their son attempting to put a corner piece in the middle of the puzzle, a frustrated expression on his face. "Hi Teddy," Hermione said.

Teddy looked up to Hermione and his hair immediately changed to match her hair color. "Hi Mummy," he said.

She sat down next to him and looked at the puzzle while Harry sat across from them. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making a puzzle," Teddy answered, a look of frustration returning to his face. "But I can't get it to fit!"

Hermione chuckled. "Have you tried placing that piece in a different spot?" she asked.

Teddy looked up at her surprised; obviously, he had _not_ thought of that. "Where?" he asked.

Hermione pulled him into her lap and kissed his head while she thought of where to put the piece. "Well, you see how it has two flat sides right here?" she said. Teddy nodded. "That means it's a corner piece so it has to go at one of the four corners of the puzzle. We have one already over here," she said, pointing to the top left of the puzzle, "so that means that this piece goes to one of the other corners. Can you think of which one it goes to?"

Teddy thought for a moment before putting the piece on the bottom left corner. "Does that look right?" he asked Hermione.

She chuckled. "We'll find out, won't we?" she said.

The three of them would spend the next hour and a half putting the puzzle together. When the puzzle was about halfway done, Dahlia brought dinner to the three of them along with a letter. "This came for you just a moment ago, sir," she said, handing the letter to Harry.

"Thank you, Dahlia," he said.

"Will there be anything else?" she asked.

"Juice!" Teddy exclaimed.

"What do you say, Teddy?" Hermione said.

"Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeeee!" he said.

Dahlia smiled. "Anything for the young master," she said, disappearing with a 'pop.'

"Who's the letter from?" Hermione asked as she handed Teddy his plate of food.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Dudley."

She looked at him confused. "Dudley? Seriously? What's it say?"

Harry took a deep breath. "He and Laura have invited us out to dinner on Saturday. At Mykonos Cafe."

She raised an eyebrow. Mykonos Cafe was one of the fanciest restaurants in muggle London. That was sure to be an expensive night. "Really?"

"Really," he replied.

They sat in silence for a moment as Dahlia brought a cup of pumpkin juice back into the room to give to Teddy before disapparating again. "Well, what do you want to do?" she asked.

He shrugged again. "I don't know; should we go?"

"That's up to you, love," she said. "Are you comfortable spending a couple hours with Dudley and his fiancée?"

"Not exactly but I wouldn't mind trying to repair my relationship- or lack of- with Dudley," he said.

"You think going to dinner would help that?" Hermione asked.

"I think it would be a good start for us to try and make things right between us," he said. "And besides, he's family."

She gave a small smile. "Yes, yes he is." She sighed and handed her son a napkin and nodded. "If you want to go, I'll happily go with you."

He smiled and leaned over to kiss her softly. "Thank you," he said.

She returned his smile then glanced at Teddy before looking back at him. He understood immediately. "Your parents?" he mouthed.

She shrugged. "I'll call my mum tomorrow and ask," she said, quietly.

Teddy, completely unaware of the conversation, turned his attention back to the puzzle and was currently trying to squish a piece in the middle of the puzzle that obviously did not belong there. Hermione laughed. "Here, Teddy, try this piece instead," she said handing him another.

Teddy excitedly took the piece from her and exclaimed in joy when the piece fit, his hair turning a bright orange in response. Harry and Hermione simply smiled at their son and continued to help him make the puzzle while enjoying their time as a family.

* * *

 _Saturday; September 2001_

"I don't know if I can do this," Harry said, looking at himself in the mirror.

"We've already told them we'd be there," Hermione answered from the bathroom. "We can't just bail now."

"You sure? We could just say Teddy got sick or something," Harry suggested. Teddy- who was watching a movie on the television Harry and Hermione had recently installed in their room- scrunched his nose. "But I'm not sick, daddy!" he exclaimed.

Harry laughed and kissed his son on the head. "I know that, kiddo, but my cousin doesn't."

"Harry, do _not_ encourage our son into your scheme. We said we'd go and that's the end of it," Hermione said, walking out of the bathroom, her hands on her hips. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw what she was wearing: a green and blue metallic dress with a v-neck that would have made both of them blush just a few years earlier. Now, as he stared at his wife, sincerely wishing he could just throw her onto the bed and have his way with her, she simply walked over to him, placed a finger under his chin, and closed his mouth. "You're staring, love," she said.

"With good reason," he replied, his voice husky. "I haven't seen this one before."

"I borrowed it from Val," she answered.

"Well then, remind me to thank her the next time I see her," he said.

"You look pwetty, mummy!" Teddy exclaimed. Hermione turned around and grinned before picking Teddy up and peppering kisses all over his face. Teddy squealed in laughter and tried to get away only to fail due to laughing so hard he couldn't move. When Hermione finally stopped kissing him, she set him back down on the bed where he flopped onto his back and sighed dramatically.

Harry laughed and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. "If that's what it takes to make him tired, I think putting him to bed at night will be much easier," he said quietly.

Hermione chuckled and looked at the clock. "We should get going or else we'll be late.''

Harry nodded in agreement and picked Teddy up from the bed. "Ready to go to Granny and Grandad's?" he asked.

Teddy grinned and nodded. Hermione grabbed her purse and wand then took Harry's hand as they apparated out of the manor and to the Granger residence.

They arrived in the backyard then walked through the back door, finding Josh and Liz in the kitchen. "Hi mum, hi daddy," Hermione said, smiling.

"Gandad!" Teddy exclaimed, squirming out of Harry's arms and running over to Josh who had just enough time to grab his grandson before Teddy leaped at him. "Hi kiddo," he said, laughing at Teddy's excitement.

"Thank you again for watching him," Harry said.

"And for letting us borrow the car," Hermione finished. Since dinner was in muggle London, Hermione and Harry would be taking the Granger's car to dinner to keep up the appearance of being muggles rather than just apparating.

"Of course," Liz replied as she handed Hermione the keys. "Don't feel like you have to rush to bring the car back; we're not going anywhere tomorrow so we don't need it back at a certain time."

"Thanks mum," Hermione said. After chatting with the Grangers for a bit and kissing Teddy goodbye, Harry and Hermione jumped into the car and drove to the restaurant where they would meet Dudley and Laura.

When they pulled up, a valet walked to them and offered to park the car for them. Harry looked to Hermione, who nodded, before handing the keys to the valet and led his wife inside. The restaurant was as high end as they expected it to be: blue, white, and gold colors decorated the entire restaurant, Greek music played over the speakers in the lobby, and the chefs in the kitchen could be heard talking to one another in Greek. It reminded them just enough of their honeymoon in Greece and Harry smiled a little.

"Harry?" Hermione said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

He took her hand in his and nodded. "Yeah, just bracing myself for this."

She squeezed his hand. "You'll be fine, love; I promise. If dinner drags on too long, we can make an excuse saying we have to pick up Teddy or something and then spend the rest of the night eating junk food and lose our minds watching lots and lots of television."

Harry chuckled. "I like this plan."

"Then it's settled," she said, smiling.

He caressed her face with his hand. "Thank you for doing this with me," he said.

She smiled. "Hey, it's you and me from now until forever, remember?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I do," he answered. He kissed her softly before the door was opened behind them and Dudley and Laura walked in. The two couples greeted each other cordially then were led to their table in a corner of the restaurant. "I'm glad you two could make it," Dudley said.

"We're glad to be here," Hermione answered. "Thank you for inviting us."

"It was our pleasure," Laura answered.

Just then, the waiter came by and took their drink orders. As soon as the waiter left, Laura stood up. "Well, I think I'm going to powder my nose. Hermione, would you like to join me?"

Hermione started at Laura's question but quickly understood what she meant. "Oh, uh, sure," she said. Kissing Harry on the cheek, Hermione grabbed her bag and followed Laura to the women's restroom leaving the two cousins alone.

They sat in silence for a moment. "So," Dudley said.

"So," Harry repeated.

"What are you doing for work these days?" Dudley asked.

"I'm a professor," Harry answered.

Dudley raised his eyebrows. "Really? At- at your school?"

"Hogwarts, yes," Harry said.

"What are you teaching?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." At Dudley's confused expression, Harry elaborated. "It's essentially a self-defense class for witches and wizards. It teaches you how to defend yourself in tight situations and against people who would want to hurt you."

"I see," Dudley said. "Is it a difficult class to teach?"

Harry smirked. "Nah; compared to fighting a Dark Lord, this class is a piece of cake."

Dudley smirked as well. "So I guess that means you enjoy it?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yeah; next to marrying Hermione, it's the best decision I've ever made."

Dudley's smirk grew into a smile. "She seems nice, Hermione. She looks like she makes you happy."

Harry nodded. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy," Dudley said. He sighed and ran his hands through this hair. "Er, there's something I want- _need_ \- to tell you."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Dudley took a deep breath and looked at his cousin. "I'm sorry."

Harry furrowed his brows. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry; for everything," Dudley said. "I was absolutely horrible to you as a kid and if I could take it back, I would. You didn't deserve that kind of treatment and I'm very sorry that I didn't treat you better."

Harry smiled. "I forgive you," he said, putting his hand out. "Think we can put the past behind us and start over? As real cousins this time?"

Dudley smiled. "I'd like that," he said, shaking Harry's hand.

They smiled at one another and released each other's hands just in time for the women to return to the table. "Well," Laura said, "who's hungry?"

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully. Any tension between Dudley and Harry had vanished after they made peace with one another and Laura and Hermione hit it off very well. They learned about Laura and Dudley's respective jobs- Laura was a primary school teacher and Dudley was a carpenter- and Harry and Hermione stretched the truth a little bit about their own professions. Dudley and Laura's wedding plans were shared- as well as an invitation given to Harry and Hermione- and Dudley even explained where Vernon and Petunia were these days.

"Dad's still working at Grunnings, mum's joined a book club, and they have a cat named Snuffles."

"Snuffles?" Harry asked.

Dudley laughed. "Don't ask; I had nothing to do with that name choice!"

Harry laughed and nodded. "Well, your mother also came up with the nickname Duddykins so I suppose I can't be that surprised."

Dudley rolled his eyes. "I should have known that would make its way into the conversation."

The table burst into laughter and Harry patted Dudley on the back. The two couples would stay at the restaurant long after their meals were finished. When the waiter had picked up their dessert plates, Laura looked at her watch. "Is it really already after ten?" she asked.

Hermione perked up at that. "Is it?" she asked. Taking a look at her own watch she cursed. "Harry, we should go if we want to pick up Teddy before my parents go to bed."

Harry nodded in agreement and asked the waiter for the check. "Who's Teddy?" Laura asked.

Harry and Hermione looked to each other before Harry answered. "Our son," he said.

Dudley's eyes widened. "You have a _son_?"

Hermione nodded. "We were his godparents when he was born, actually. His parents were killed in- in a fire just shortly after he was born. He was being raised by his grandmother until, she too, passed away a few months ago. So, we adopted him and have been raising him as our own ever since."

Laura had tears in her eyes and she squeezed Hermione's hand. "That's- that's heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly.

"I'm sure his parents are resting peacefully knowing their son is being well taken care of," the blonde said.

Hermione smiled at that and took Harry's hand in her own. "They would have done the same for us had the situation been reversed. Our son will grow up knowing who his real parents were but that doesn't change the fact that he is ours. And we'll always love him like our own."

Laura smiled. "I'd love to meet him," she said. "How old is he? Maybe I'll end up teaching him?"

Harry chuckled. "He's only three right now so he's got a ways to go. As for meeting him, we'll bring him to the wedding; you can meet him then."

"I look forward to it," Laura said.

The two couples paid then left the restaurant, still talking. When Hermione and Laura wandered ahead, talking about Hermione's work, Dudley pulled Harry aside. "Your son… his parents- did they die in the war." Harry nodded solemnly. Dudley sighed. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize how dangerous the situation was when we last saw each other. I'm sorry you had to go through all that and I'm sorry about your son's parents."

Harry sighed. "Thank you. We won't let his parents be forgotten, though; we won't let anyone be forgotten."

Dudley nodded and shook Harry's hand again. "It's been good to see you, cousin. And, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're still around."

Harry smiled. "Me too. Don't be a stranger, okay, Dudders?"

"You too, cousin; see you soon."

"See you soon," Harry said.

* * *

 ** _Hope you liked this little reunion!_**

 ** _Please review!_**


	36. Interlude IV

_**A/N: Nothing to report today. Happy Wednesday, everyone!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 36 (Interlude):**

 _Early October 2001_

The table sat in stunned silence as Ginny and Molly glared at one another. Molly had made one too many not-so-subtle comments to Ginny and Neville about getting married when Ginny snapped and revealed to her mother- and everyone else- that she and Neville were already married and had been for over a year.

"What do you mean 'over a year?'" Molly asked, her voice, dangerously low.

"We got married last summer when we were in Berlin," Ginny answered, her voice just as low.

"How could you keep something like that from me?!" Molly said, her voice getting higher with each word.

"We made the decision impulsively while on vacation. And, so far, it's been the best decision I've ever made."

"You kept this from me for nearly a year and a half?!" Molly screeched, looking back and forth between her daughter and (surprise) son-in-law. "How could you?!"

"It was our decision, mum! Not yours!" Ginny argued.

"That doesn't matter! You know how I feel about elopement! You _know_ I wanted a real wedding for you!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't! I didn't want the big white wedding, I didn't want all the fuss and all the stress that goes into planning a wedding! I just wanted Neville. And he wanted me. So we did what we had to."

Molly had tears in her eyes and shook her head. "You're not wearing a ring-" she started to say but stopped when Ginny tapped her finger with her wand and the disillusionment charm faded, showing her wedding ring- Neville did the same with his own finger and a large wedding band appeared on his left hand. Molly looked at it and bit back a sob. "Well, it appears you made your decision," she said. Then she stormed out of the dining room and upstairs.

"Molly-" Neville started but stopped when Arthur stood and shook his head at the young man. "Don't, Neville," he said.

Ginny looked to her father, tears in her eyes and shrugged. "I suppose you hate me too, then?"

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "I'm disappointed in both of you," he said. "But I could never hate you." He looked to Neville and gave him a small smile. "Welcome to the family, Neville," he said.

Arthur began to walk out of the room but stopped next to his daughter and squeezed her shoulder. "Give your mother time; she'll come around," he said. Then he left the room.

Ginny bit back a sob and stormed out of the house, Neville following close behind. Everyone left at the table sat silently for a moment before Ron spoke. "Just so we're clear, no one takes sides on this. Deal?" Everyone at the table agreed before getting up and very quietly leaving the Burrow.

Eventually, the only people left were Ron, Daphne, Harry, and Hermione. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Hermione asked.

Ron shook his head. "No; this is something mum has to work through on her own." Daphne wrapped her arms around Ron's waist and he sighed. "You two go home," he said, looking at Harry and Hermione. "We'll clean up here and then head out ourselves."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

Daphne nodded. "Positive; we'll be done in no time," she said.

Harry and Hermione nodded, hugging the couple goodbye before leaving the Burrow and apparating back home to the quiet halls of the Manor (Teddy was with Hermione's parents for the night). "Do you think everything will turn out okay?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah; Molly's just hurt at the moment. Give it a few days or even a week and she and Ginny will make up and then everything will be okay again."

"I hope you're right," Hermione said.

* * *

Augusta took the news much better than Molly had. "Oh, I've known you two were married for several months now!" she told the young couple.

Neville's jaw dropped. "What?"

Augusta chuckled. "There was one evening that you came by here and you forgot to put the disillusionment charm on your hand so your ring was easy to spot. I never said anything because I knew you'd tell me in time."

Neville blushed in embarrassment at his forgetfulness but Ginny furrowed her brows. "You're not angry?" she asked.

Augusta shook her head. "No, dear. I know you had your reasons for keeping it quiet. However, I am glad that you chose to tell me. Now I can admire that ring that my grandson gave you openly. You have exquisite taste, Neville," she said.

Neville blushed again. "Thank you, gran."

Ginny smiled at him and dropped her shoulders in relief. At least not everyone was angry with them at the moment.

* * *

 ** _Please review!_**


	37. Chapter 37

_A/N: I've been a total bum and done nothing productive all damn day. Do I regret it? Kind of?_

 _Whoops._

 _Tallyho!_

* * *

 _Chapter 37:_

 _October 2001_

"Alright," Astoria said. "First batch is ready for testing. Is the cadaver ready?"

"I don't know, should we ask it?" Daphne retorted.

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Why do I even bother talking to you?"

"You know you love me," Daphne said.

"Merlin, help us all," Hermione muttered. "Yes, the cadaver's ready."

"Thank you, Hermione," Astoria replied. She filled a muggle syringe with the potion and injected it into the cadaver. "Now what?" Daphne asked.

"Now, we wait to see if anything happens," Hermione said. "If the potion doesn't cause any harm to the body, we can start testing on the mice."

"Does the body smoking count as something happening?" Daphne asked.

Hermione and Astoria turned around and saw smoke coming out of the cadaver's ears and noticed a foul smell. Daphne cast a charm around the cadaver that would isolate the smell while Hermione cut open the body to investigate what was happening.

"Oh, God," Hermione said, covering her mouth.

"That is foul," Astoria said.

The potion had failed miserably. Instead of doing nothing to the body, various organs either incinerated or fell apart causing the terrible smell. "Well, that potion was a bust. Any idea what might have caused that Tori?" Daphne asked, writing down what had happened in her notes.

Astoria nodded and looked away from the body as Hermione cast a cleanup charm on the cadaver then vanished it. "The Nightshade. It was a risk putting it into the potion in the first place but I did it because there have been cases of it working. Problem is, it's a highly poisonous plant and doesn't react very well with other plants except on rare occasions. It's clear this was not one of those exceptions."

Hermione nodded and opened several windows to let the smell out. "Well, at least now we know not to use that. How long would it take you to make your next batch?"

"About two weeks," Astoria answered.

Hermione nodded. "Perfect; we'll try this again in two weeks."

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later_

"Alright, test number two is a go," Daphne said.

Astoria injected the potion into the cadaver while Hermione had her wand ready in case another incident occurred. When ten minutes had passed and no issues occurred, Hermione cut open the cadaver to investigate. "Merlin's beard," she exclaimed.

Astoria and Daphne looked over Hermione's shoulder and gasped. Every organ in the body had vanished leaving just a shell of the body and the skeleton.

"How does that even happen?" Daphne asked.

Astoria shook her head. "I have no idea; I'm going to have to do more research to figure out how to prevent that."

Daphne sighed and looked to her parchment. "Test two: failed."

* * *

 _December 2001_

After several months of various test results- incineration, mysterious vanishing, melting, organ deforming, even the body catching on fire- the three women finally figured out the right ingredients to make the perfect potion that caused no harm to the cadaver, whatsoever. "Ready?" Hermione asked.

Daphne looked at the test mouse and sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. Good luck, little guy."

"It's a mouse, Daph; not a person," Astoria said.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I know, I just don't want him to be in any pain."

"After the infection we gave him, he already is in pain. But with luck, after this, he won't be," Astoria said. As Hermione cast a stasis charm on the mouse, Astoria filled the syringe with the potion then injected it into the mouse. Hermione lifted the charm, then watched the results with the other two women.

The infection the women had given the mouse was as close to cancer that they could mimic; however, due the mouse's tiny size, the infection would be a lot stronger and work a lot faster so the women had to move fast if they wanted a successful test. In a human, the potion was expected to attack the infection and kill it within a few weeks- in more serious cases, it would take longer; for a mouse, it was expected to take a couple of hours, minimum.

It was only forty-five minutes later when the mouse appeared to be fully healed. He was running around his cage, squeaking happily, and when Astoria placed a plate of food in front of him, he immediately ran over and ate it.

Daphne had tears in her eyes and Hermione grinned. "Test number one: success," Daphne said.

"Well done, Tori," Hermione said. Astoria beamed. Hermione pulled the two women into a tight hug, grinning. "Happy Christmas, ladies," Hermione said.

* * *

 _Christmas 2001_

"So what's next now that you've had a successful test?" George asked.

"We need to conduct some more tests," Hermione said. "Once we've ensured that the potion will cure or at least heal any form of cancer or something similar to it, then we can contact the testing facility in Oslo and begin administering the potion to humans with similar illnesses."

"Assuming we get the results that we want," Daphne continued, "we can build up a case to take back to the Board of Medicine and show them our findings."

"What happens after that?" Arthur asked.

The two women looked to each other and shrugged. "With luck, our plan to open up a new wing in the hospital dedicated to muggle ailments- cancer, in particular- will get approved and we'll be able to keep incidents like Adeline's birth mother or Andromeda from happening again," Hermione explained.

"Sounds like you've got a lot of work ahead of you," Arthur mused.

Daphne grinned. "Yeah; but we can handle it."

"How long are you expecting to be in Oslo?" Angelina asked.

Hermione shrugged. "As long as it takes for us to get the test results we want; we're hoping come back for a weekend or so, of course, but we will be gone for several periods of time while we're conducting the tests."

Daphne looked to Ginny and winked. "Don't worry, Gin, we'll be back in time for your wedding."

Ginny and Neville had made peace with Molly several days after the big reveal blowout at dinner on the condition that Molly would be able to plan a "real" wedding for them. The couple agreed on the condition that it occurred on the day of their anniversary, so there wouldn't be any confusion later on. Molly agreed and the three of them reconciled, happily. Ginny smirked. "You better be," she said.

The table laughed while Daphne and Hermione sat closer to their husbands. Both Ron and Harry had already been told how long their wives would be gone but neither couple wanted to be separated from one another for too long; it was even harder for Daphne and Hermione knowing they'd have to leave their children behind while they worked. But it would all be worth it; they were sure of it.

* * *

 _January 2002_

As the new year started, more and more tests were conducted. By the end of the month, several mice had been tested with various illnesses- including one that was as close to cancer as they could mimic- and every single test had been successful. Some of the more serious cases took a bit longer to take effect in the mice, but every single test had cleared the virus in the mice; it was time to contact the facility in Oslo.

After speaking with the head of the facility, arrangements were made for the three women to go to Oslo and begin their testing and research. The initial plan was to test for six months and then continue from there, but all three women hoped it would take less than that. However, no one would be sure until testing started.

Daphne arranged everything for the trip: the portkey, the meetings, the testing schedule, accommodations, and even when and where to get more supplies if they needed it. By the time the day came to take the portkey to Oslo, the three women were more than ready to get started.

"You excited?" Harry asked as Hermione packed the last of the books she wanted to take.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yeah; I am," she said. "I think we have the ability to really make a change, Harry, and I think Oslo is going to be just what we need."

Harry pulled his wife into a tight hug and kissed her head. "No matter what happens, know that I am so, so proud of you."

Hermione smiled and kissed Harry on the lips. "Thank you, love." She pulled out of the hug to get a better look at him. "Are you sure you're going to be okay with just you and Teddy?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Of course; and, if I'm not, I can always call Molly or Val and Michel, your parents, or even the elves and have them help me out." He kissed her forehead. "We'll be fine, I promise; you just focus on your work."

She nodded and turned her attention to the bedroom door which was now being opened by her son. She smiled. "Hi Teddy," she said.

"Hi mummy," Teddy said, his hair matching hers in color. "Are you leaving me?"

She picked him up and held him close. "I would never leave you, Teddy; I'll always be right here," she said, pointing to his heart. Teddy smiled and burrowed into her. "I do have to go away for a short while though."

"Why?" Teddy asked.

"Because Auntie Daphne, Miss Astoria, and I are going to do some testing for our potion," Hermione explained. "If we're successful, we could save a lot of lives."

Teddy looked at her wide eyed. "Will you be a hewo?" he asked.

Hermione chuckled. "Maybe in some people's eyes," she said. "But I'm just trying to help people."

"I hope you win," Teddy said.

Hermione smiled. "Me too, Teddy." She kissed his forehead and hugged him close. "You be good for Daddy while I'm gone, okay? No causing trouble."

Teddy nodded. "Yes, mummy."

Suddenly, the floo roared from downstairs and Daphne and Astoria's voices could be heard. "Well, I guess that's my cue," Hermione said. She handed Teddy to Harry and kissed both of them. "I love you both so much. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"See you soon, mummy," Teddy said.

"Go get 'em, love," Harry said.

She smiled and walked downstairs, bag in hand, to join her friends.

"Ready?" Astoria asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Hermione replied.

Daphne smiled and took her hand in hers. "Don't stress, Hermione. We've got this."

Hermione smiled and held onto to Astoria's other hand as the portkey activated, whisking them away to Oslo, Norway.

* * *

 _Oslo, Norway_

 _January 2002_

"Ah, Healer Potter, Healer Weasley, Ms. Greengrass, please come in; have a seat," the head of the facility said. "My name is Naomi Fox, I'll be working with you as you conduct your tests," she said.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Fox," Hermione said.

Naomi shook her head. "Please, call me Naomi."

"Naomi, then," Daphne smiled. "We wanted to thank you for letting us conduct some tests here at your facility."

Naomi smiled. "It's my pleasure; anything that we can do to improve wizard medicine is something that I'm always in support of. If I may ask, what brought on this desire to research muggle ailments?"

Daphne and Astoria looked to Hermione who cleared her throat. "My, er, my son's grandmother recently passed away from Leukemia."

Naomi's eyes softened. "I'm sorry for your loss; was she a muggleborn?"

Hermione shook her head. "Pureblood."

Naomi raised her eyebrows. "Really? That is interesting."

"What makes you say that?" Astoria asked.

"Well, from what we've noticed, since muggleborns are born to muggle parents, they have a higher chance of contracting a muggle ailment like cancer or a mental illness of some kind. Purebloods- even with all the inbreeding that goes on in those circles- don't have as high as a chance."

"She was married to a muggleborn," Daphne explained. "Would that have anything to do with it?"

Naomi shook her head. "No; most ailments like this are not contagious. What's possible is that members of the pureblood community have been contracting ailments such as cancer but are too proud to admit it which could explain the large ratio between muggleborn cases and pureblood cases."

"What about halfblood?" Hermione asked.

Naomi shrugged. "It's about 50/50. Some people admit it, others don't."

"Are any of the patients you have here Pureblood?" Hermione asked.

Naomi shrugged. "I'm not at liberty to say; healer-patient confidentiality, of course. If you'd like to research that, you may, however, I should warn you that not all of our patients will be open about that sort of thing." The three women nodded in understanding and Naomi smiled. "So, how about a tour of the facility?"

* * *

 _February 2002_

"Have you noticed any differences between muggleborns with any sort of disease versus purebloods?" Hermione asked. Daphne had been assigned to figure out which patient was from what type of family since Daphne was the most approachable of the three women. Using her charm, she managed to get every single patient to tell her whether they were pureblood, muggleborn, or halfblood.

The blonde shook her head. "Nothing; I made a list to keep track of who had what and it's pretty even among purebloods, half bloods, and muggleborns. I guess Naomi was right. Most likely, most purebloods refuse to admit that they could contract a muggle disease and brush it off as Dragon Pox or something. The few who aren't so proud have come here for treatment."

"Well, hopefully, our test results will diminish that and we can start helping more and more people," Hermione said.

"I hope you're right," Daphne replied.

Just then, the door opened and Astoria walked in. "Hey," Daphne said. "How'd the first tests go?"

Astoria smiled. "They took to the potion like kids in a candy store. I'm not sure how long it'll take before we see results but the good news is, the potion has not harmed anyone so far."

"That's great!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And very reassuring that we're on the right track," Astoria said.

"So now what happens?" Daphne asked.

Hermione sighed and looked to Astoria. "Now we wait?"

Astoria nodded. "Now, we wait."

* * *

 _14 February 2002_

 _Oslo, Norway_

 _My dearest Harry,_

 _Tests are going well. Astoria started administering the potion to several willing patients. So far, no one has had any negative reactions to the potion so we're counting that as a victory. It's too early to tell if the potion is doing anything in regards to healing the patients but we have high hopes._

 _How's Hogwarts? The Gryffindor/Ravenclaw match is coming up soon, right? Tell the team good luck for me and give Neville and Draco my love. Tell the kids at the orphanage that I miss them and I hope they're doing well, along with the Weasleys and the Bouviers. I've been in contact with mum and she's been telling me that she and Val are writing a book together? I'm interested to see how that turns out._

 _And how's Teddy? Tell him I miss him and that I love him a lot. At night, the northern lights appear and I'll just stand outside sometimes and watch the multitude of colors pass through the sky; it reminds me of Teddy's hair sometimes. We'll have to bring him here sometime; I think he'd like it a lot._

 _I miss you. Oslo's freezing this time of year so there's several heating charms around our lodgings but the bed still feels too cold and too big without you. I miss having you next to me and I miss being able to curl up in your arms at the end of the night. I know it's wishful thinking, but I hope we get results soon so I can get back to you sooner. One can only hope, right?_

 _I love you so much, Harry._

 _Hermione._

 _P. S. Happy Valentine's Day._

* * *

 _20 February 2002_

 _The Cotswolds, England_

 _My Hermione,_

 _I'm glad to hear that testing is going well. I know you'll all have great success and I can't wait to hear about all the amazing things you three are going to do once the new wing in the hospital opens - don't call me optimistic, love. You know it'll happen._

 _Hogwarts is good. Gryffindor won the Quidditch match and get to move on to play for the Cup. Fingers crossed I can help them get there. Neville and Draco send their love back and both wanted me to tell you good luck with your endeavors. We're all rooting for you back home._

 _And, you heard right, your mum and Val are working on a book. Val's gone on a history binge and wants to write a fiction story based off muggle wars so she's been interviewing your father in order to get inside the mind of a soldier while your mum is helping her research. It's pretty adorable, actually. They get along really well and they're both enjoying themselves immensely._

 _Baby Charlie and little Adeline are babbling happily along. They're able to form some words but nothing more than "Mama" and a few words in gibberish. They're gonna be best friends later on in life, I can tell. Everyone else is good; the kids at the orphanage are doing really well. They've started a book club and one of the older kids will read to the younger ones very night. It's very sweet; they're all very close._

 _Speaking of babies, I have some exciting news: Angelina gave birth a couple days ago! She had a healthy baby girl named Roxanne. George is an absolute mess, he's so excited but terrified. He's not quite sure what to do with himself; it's pretty funny. Lee Jordan and Katie Bell came into town for the birth and were named godparents. Merlin help that girl; with Lee and George around her as she grows up, who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause in her Hogwarts years._

 _Anyway, the Weasleys send their love and McGonagall wanted me to ask you if you would join her for tea when you came back. She misses you, I think. Oh, I've been talking to Dudley lately and he invited me out to a football game next week. I accepted; Teddy will stay with your parents that night so he'll be taken care of._

 _Speaking of Teddy, he misses you and insists that you take him out for ice cream when you get back as an apology for being gone so long. I told him I'd pass the message on to you._

 _I miss you too. I love the manor but it feels too big without you. Dahlia's been very sweet and always checking on me when I'm working late in the study. I think she knows I miss you. Actually, I think she misses you too. You know how she dotes on you._

 _I miss being able to have breakfast with you in the mornings and talk about nothing. I miss waking up next to you; I miss the smell of your hair, your kiss, your touch. I miss you being just a room away. Come home soon._

 _I love you, forever and always._

 _Harry._

* * *

 _1 March, 2002_

 _Oslo, Norway_

 _My love,_

 _I'm so sorry for the delay in writing to you but I have a good reason: we've had a breakthrough. One of the patients has started to show signs of improvement. He had a case very similar to Andromeda's but got to the facility shortly after he was diagnosed. He was one of the first to undergo the treatment and today his vitals are starting to improve and it's the first day he's been able to eat a full meal and hold it down!_

 _We still have a ways to go but this is huge. I'm so excited, Harry, I wish I could express it into words._

 _I'm sorry to say I have to cut this letter short as we have a lot to do and not nearly enough hours in the day to do it all. I love you and Teddy so much. I'll keep you updated as best I can._

 _Much love,_

 _Hermione._

* * *

 _April 2002_

It had been several weeks since Hermione's last letter and Harry was starting to get anxious. Was the test successful? Did any of the other tests work? Was she working herself too hard? Would she be home for Teddy's birthday? All these questions ran through his mind every day and night and took up residence in his mind whenever he wasn't focused on work or his son. Whatever was happening with their testing, Harry just hoped that it was going well and that Hermione would be home soon; otherwise, he wasn't sure how much longer he could take without seeing or hearing from her.

He was pulled from his thoughts as his classroom door opened and his third years walked in. He stood from his chair and leaned against his desk as his students filed in. When the last student sat down, Harry cleared his throat and began class.

"What can any of you tell me about werewolves?" he asked. The students looked among themselves, before one of the Gryffindors raised their hand. "Yes?" Harry said.

"Werewolves are half human-half wolf beasts who transform under the full moon," The little Gryffindor explained.

Harry nodded. "Can you elaborate a little on that? Say, how a person becomes a werewolf in the first place?"

"Well, they have to be bitten by a werewolf in the first place, sir."

"Good. Is there a cure for lycanthropy?"

This time another student raised their hand. Harry nodded for them to answer. "There isn't a cure, sir, but there is the Wolfsbane Potion which will allow them to keep their human mind after they've transformed."

Harry nodded. "Very good. I'm sure you're all wondering why I'm asking these questions," he said. The class nodded. "Professors Malfoy, Longbottom, and I have been talking and have decided to educate you on a matter that is usually approached with fear and prejudice: werewolves. I will be the first to admit that not all werewolves are going to be kind; there are going to be some who will try to hurt others, which is why I will teach you how to defend yourselves against them just in case. However, I also met a werewolf once who was one of the kindest and bravest men I ever knew and all he ever wanted was to be accepted.

"While I am teaching you defense, Professor Malfoy will teach you how to make the Wolfsbane Potion and Professor Longbottom will provide the ingredients as well as teach you how to grow them yourselves. This is both for your protection and to teach you about acceptance and caution. Like I said before, not all werewolves are going to be kind; but most just want a chance at a real life. We're going to help you help them achieve that goal. Are you willing to work with us?"

The entire class nodded and Harry smiled. "Excellent; let's get started."

* * *

 _The next evening_

Harry picked up Teddy from the Burrow after work and brought him back to the manor for a birthday dinner between the two of them. "Are you ready for the best birthday dinner, ever?" Harry asked his son.

Teddy grinned. "Will there be ice cweam?"

Harry laughed. "Always." Harry led his son into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw someone else standing there.

"MUMMY!" Teddy exclaimed, jumping out of Harry's arms and into Hermione's. Hermione picked up her son and held him tight, placing kisses all over his face causing Teddy to squeal with laughter. "Mummy, stop!" Teddy exclaimed.

"I can't!" Hermione said, continuing to kiss his face. "You're just so cute; I can't help but kiss you!" Teddy squealed with laughter again. Hermione looked up and noticed Harry still watching her, a small smile on his face. She kissed Teddy one more time then put him on the ground. "Why don't you go wash your hands, okay? Dinner's just about ready."

Teddy did as he was asked and as soon as the now-four-year-old was out of the room, Harry ran to Hermione and picked her up in a tight hug. They barely broke out of the hug before they started kissing each other as if their lives depended on it. Hermione tangled her hands in Harry's hair as he held her as close to him as possible. Only when they absolutely had to break for air, did they separate. "I missed you," Harry said.

"I missed you too," she replied.

"How long have you been home?"

"About an hour," Hermione said. "As soon as I arrived, Dahlia and I got to work on making Teddy's birthday dinner and cake. I'm sorry I didn't tell you; I wanted to surprise you."

Harry shook his head. "There's no need to apologize; this has been the best surprise ever." He kissed her again, smiling. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Me too," she said.

"Do you have to go back to Oslo any time soon?"

Hermione grinned and shook her head. "Not anymore; we got everything we needed."

Harry's eyes widened. "You- you mean-"

She nodded. "All the tests were successful and every single patient we tested the potion on has had no side effects and feel better than they've ever felt before. Harry, we did it. We found a way to treat muggle ailments in wizards."

Harry grinned and picked his wife up and spun her around while she held onto him tightly and laughed. "Hermione, that's great news. Congratulations!" he said, putting her back on the ground.

She smiled. "Astoria and Daph stayed behind for an extra couple days to finish gathering all our research and they're leaving a copy of the potion recipe with the facility so they have access to it before returning home. I left early so I could come celebrate my boy's birthday." She rested her forehead against Harry's and kissed him softly. "And I wanted to see you."

"Well, I know both Teddy and I are incredibly happy that you're home for good now."

"Me too," she smiled.

When Teddy returned, the three of them had a great dinner as a family, celebrating Teddy's fourth birthday. For dessert, Hermione allowed him to have an extra scoop of ice cream but did promise to take him out for ice cream later in the week as well. After his presents were opened and Hermione read him a story, Teddy fell asleep, finally allowing Harry and Hermione some time to themselves.

The moment Hermione entered the bedroom, Harry cast a silencing charm and locked the door before pinning her against the wall. He stared at her with a hunger in his eyes and a low growl emerging from his throat. "God, I missed you," Hermione said before lacing her hands in his hair and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. He responded immediately, grinding against her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

It didn't take long for them to shed each other of their clothing. Once they were both naked, Hermione led Harry to the bed without breaking the kiss. She pushed him backwards and straddled him and he entered her in one quick thrust. She threw her head back and moaned while Harry sat up and held her close as they began to move together. They quickly found a steady rhythm and continued to stare into each other's eyes as they rocked together. Hermione broke the eye contact to kiss Harry passionately and he moaned into the kiss as he picked up the pace. What only felt like moments later, they came together in a blissful climax.

Harry fell back onto the bed, Hermione falling with him and rolling off him to curl up next to him. "Wow. That was-" she started.

"Yeah," Harry finished for her.

"I didn't realize how much I missed all of you until I got home," Hermione said.

"I did. This bed is far too big without you in it."

Hermione laughed. "Well, don't worry. I won't be going anywhere anymore for a while. If we need to get back in contact with the facility in Oslo, we can most likely just floo call them."

Harry nodded and cupped her face with his hand. "I love you, you know."

She smiled and kissed him. "I know; I love you too."

* * *

 _There's a facecast of Naomi Fox on the Pinterest board plus some Northern Lights just cause they're so damn pretty._

 _Please review!_


	38. Chapter 38

_**A/N: I'm getting my graduation photos done today! T-minus 18 days 'til graduation!**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 38:**

 _April 2002_

Daphne and Hermione sat in Healer Waters' office, doing their best not to fidget as he read over their findings. He was more than halfway through their research and so far had said nothing, making the women confused as to whether or not he was impressed or bored. Finally, when he was done, he put the research down and looked back at the two of them. "I had to admit, I had my doubts," he began, "but after reading all your research and seeing the lengths that the three of you went to prove your research, I'd be an idiot to turn you away."

Hermione sat straighter in her chair. "You mean we can take this to the Board?"

"I'd be insulted if you didn't," Healer Waters said. "These tests that you conducted saved lives, Hermione. Imagine how many more you could save if you had more funding to do more research and conduct more tests. You three are changing the world of wizarding medicine without even realizing it; if, for any absurd reason, the Board doesn't approve your proposal, I'll fund it myself."

Daphne and Hermione grinned. "Thank you sir," Daphne said. "It means a lot to us that you're so supportive of us."

"It's my pleasure," he replied, smiling. "I'll arrange a meeting with the Board as soon as I can. Would Miss Greengrass be able to make the meeting as well? I couldn't help but notice she wasn't here today."

Daphne nodded. "She had a previous meeting already, sir, but whenever you schedule the meeting with the Board, she'll be here."

Healer Waters nodded. "Excellent. You may return to your shifts, ladies. I'll contact you as soon as I have a meeting arranged."

"Thank you, sir," the women said, standing. As they began to leave the room, Healer Waters called them back.

"Well done," he smiled.

The two women smiled back at him before returning to work.

* * *

 _That evening_

Hermione gasped as she looked at the engagement ring on Astoria's hand. "Sweet _Merlin_!" she exclaimed.

Astoria grinned and nodded. "I know. I told him I didn't want anything super extravagant but he insisted and, well, let's just say he can be very persuasive when he wants to be."

"Ew, please don't finish the rest of that thought," Daphne said. "You know I love you both, but I don't need to hear about your sex life with one of my best friends."

Astoria laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, how'd the meeting go?" Astoria asked.

Hermione smiled. "Alex loved our research and said he'd fund us himself if the Board turned us down."

"That's great!" Astoria said. "But do you really think the Board will turn us down?"

Daphne shrugged. "I don't think so but there's always that one crotchety old person who doesn't like change who might try to sway the rest of the Board."

Astoria laughed. "I'd like to see them try. The news of mine and Draco's engagement is going to break out tomorrow; after that comes out, the Board would be insane not to approve us unless they want to face my future father-in-law."

"We don't want to scare them, Tori," Daphne began.

"We want to do this the right way," Hermione finished. "The _honest_ way."

"And we will. But mine and Draco's engagement news will help us not only get the Board's approval but it will also help us get some good publicity on our research. Even with the test results we have and the Board's approval, there's still going to be quite a few people out there who won't like what we're doing and saying. With the Malfoy family on our side, it will look better. Lucius will just be a scare tactic, if we need him."

Daphne and Hermione looked to each other before nodding in resignation. "Okay," Daphne said. "But Lucius only becomes involved if we can't handle it ourselves."

"Deal," Astoria said. "Although, I should warn you, Lucius is ready to make an investment into our potion as soon as we're approved by the Board."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? That man never turns away a good business deal." Astoria laughed.

* * *

 _Late April 2002_

Hermione hated waiting. They had presented their findings to the Board that morning and, in her opinion, it went very well. The Board, however, barely showed any sort of emotion to their findings; they just sat in their chairs with deadpan expressions, drinking their terrible tasting coffee.

After their presentation, the Board excused themselves for an hour so they could discuss the women's proposal. They passed the hour mark twenty minutes ago and Hermione was beginning to lose patience. If it wasn't for Daphne's hand squeezing hers every few minutes, she would have burst from anticipation a while ago.

Finally, after another five minutes had passed, Healer Waters walked out of the room. "They're ready for you," he said.

The three women walked back into the room and faced the Board, bracing themselves for the worst but hoping for the best. The Chairman of the Board stood and faced the women with a smile. "Ladies, I admit, when you first came in here with your proposal, I thought it was ludicrous. But after hearing your results and seeing all the work you put into to test your theory, well, I'd be insane not to consider your proposal." He glanced at his fellow Board members as if waiting for anyone to interject. When no one did, he continued. "Ladies, you presented a strong argument with far more support than we have ever seen anyone bring forward before. And it is with great pleasure that we accept your proposal and grant you the funding you will need for your new wing in St. Mungo's. It will appropriately be named: the Muggle Ailments and Diseases Ward."

Hermione beamed and walked towards the Chairman to shake his hand, Daphne and Astoria right behind her. "Thank you so much, sir," she said. "Words can't describe how grateful we are for this opportunity."

"You're very welcome, Healer Potter. We look forward to the great things the three of you will do as your careers advance," he said.

After a round of shaking everyone's hands and thanking the Board several times, the three women finally left the conference room and all heaved a sigh of relief. "We did it," Astoria said.

"Yes, we did," Hermione grinned. "And, as much as I would love to go out and go drink away the stress of the day, I'd much rather go home and snuggle up with my boys. Think we can celebrate later?"

The sisters nodded. "I agree wholeheartedly," Daphne said. "My little girl needs her mum and Ron needs some love."

"Ew, please don't continue that sentence," Hermione said.

The three women hugged tightly then each split up, going to their respective homes. As soon as Hermione arrived in the Manor foyer, Teddy came running right up to her. "Mummy!" he exclaimed.

She smiled and picked him up, holding him tight. "Hello, handsome," she said. She looked up to see Harry walk into the room as Teddy snuggled himself into the crook of her neck. "How'd it go?" he asked.

She grinned. "We got accepted," she said. "The Board said yes and we're getting our new wing with full funding."

Harry grinned and ran over to her, pulling her and Teddy into a tight hug. "That's great news, love," Harry said. "Congratulations!"

Teddy looked up at her wide eyed. "Does this mean you'll get to save lives now, mummy?"

Hermione nodded and kissed his forehead. "Yes, my love. Yes, it does."

Teddy beamed at that and hugged Hermione close right as Harry pulled them both into another tight hug, except this time, he didn't let go. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered in her ear.

She kissed his cheek and sighed in content. "Thank you, love."

* * *

 ** _Ta da! Astoria's engagement ring is on the Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	39. Chapter 39

**_A/N: Sorry for the several day silence; I've been applying for jobs, auditioning for shows, and trying to make it through the next few weeks of school without screaming my head off. I know graduating will all be worth it but right now, I just wanna sleep... ZZZZZ_**

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 39:**

 _May 2002_

Hermione smiled as Teddy strutted around the room, sporting his yellow polka dotted bowtie that Liz had bought him. Teddy hadn't been very thrilled with the idea of wearing a suit but after Hermione put the bowtie on him, the complaints stopped. "You look very handsome, love," she said.

Teddy grinned. "Thanks mummy!"

Hermione watched Teddy's hair turn yellow to match the bowtie and sighed. "Oh, Teddy, I'm so sorry."

Teddy frowned. "Why?"

She crouched down in front of him. "The people that we're going to see are muggles and they won't understand why your hair keeps changing color. I'm going to have to put a charm on it, my love."

Teddy's shoulders dropped. "Does that mean they won't see my yellow hair?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm afraid so, love. But the good news is, with this charm, you, Daddy and I can all still see your yellow hair. It will just look brown to all the muggles is all. Will that be okay with you?"

Teddy thought for a moment then nodded. "That's okay," he said.

Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead before casting the charm on him. "Shall we see if it worked?" she asked.

Teddy nodded and let Hermione lead him to the full-body mirror in the bathroom so he could see what Hermione had done. He studied himself in the mirror with his brown hair and shrugged. "I guess it's not too bad," he said.

Hermione laughed and picked him up, peppering his face with kisses. Teddy squealed with laughter and smiled as Hermione placed him on the bed and kissed the top of his head. "Promise to behave while I get dressed?"

Teddy nodded and Hermione smiled at him, kissing his nose. "I'll be right back, love," she said.

Hermione wandered back into the bathroom to change into her dress and putting her hair into a bun. A few minutes later, she nodded in approval of her appearance and walked back into the bedroom only to find Harry had come into the room and was lying on the bed with Teddy curled up next to him, both of them falling asleep. She smiled and walked over to Harry and pushed some hair back, leaning down to kiss the scar on his forehead. When she pulled back, she found his green eyes watching her.

"Hi," she whispered. "Are you ready?"

He smiled and nodded, sitting up and kissed her softly. "You look beautiful," he said.

She blushed. "Thank you, love. You look very handsome, yourself."

He winked at her and gathered Teddy into his arms, letting the little one sleep just a bit longer. "The car's waiting downstairs and Teddy's car seat is all set up," he said.

Hermione smiled. "Great," she said. "Remind me to fill up the tank tomorrow before we drop the car back off my parents'."

Harry nodded and followed his wife out of the manor as they left for Dudley's wedding.

* * *

The church was starting to fill with people as Harry and Hermione arrived with a groggy Teddy in tow. As they walked up the church steps, Harry picked Teddy up and carried him into the building so as not to lose him in the throng of people walking in and out of the church.

Harry looked around as they walked into the chapel and noticed quite a few familiar faces from his childhood, including some of Dudley's old school friends- the ones who used to bully Harry with Dudley. Harry made eye contact with one of them and nodded at him out of politeness, but before they could find seats away from that group, the couple was stopped by none other than Vernon Dursley.

"What are you doing here, boy?" he grumbled.

Harry held Teddy closer to him and glared at his uncle. "Good to see you too, Uncle Vernon. Glad to see you're so excited that I'm alive."

Vernon grunted. "Don't play games with me, boy. What are you doing here?"

Harry raised an eyebrow as he saw his Aunt Petunia walking over to them and nearly felt like a cat being cornered. It wasn't until Hermione put her hand on his arm that he calmed down enough to answer his uncle. "Believe it or not, Vernon, Dudley and Laura invited us."

"Don't be ridiculous," Vernon said. "Dudley would never invite you. You two haven't even spoken since we left Privet Drive."

"That's what you think," Harry said. "The truth is, Dudley and I have been on speaking terms for several months now. We made our peace with each other a while ago and are working our way to becoming good friends. I had hoped we could make our peace as well but it appears that won't be happening."

"You can be damn-"

"Vernon!" Petunia said, cutting him off. She glanced to the little boy who was burrowed against Harry's neck before looking back to her husband. "Now is not the time nor the place."

Vernon looked aghast. "But Petunia-"

"Not now, Vernon. If Dudley and Laura invited them, they're welcome to be here," Petunia said, conscious of members of her book club and Vernon's coworkers watching the encounter. She glanced back to Harry and froze when she saw Hermione left hand rub Teddy's back comfortingly. "Is- is that-"

Hermione looked confused but Harry immediately knew what Petunia was looking at. "My mother's ring? Yes; yes, it is."

Hermione watched as Petunia stuttered to ask if she could see it. In order to make the woman's life a little easier, Hermione put her hand out for Petunia to examine the ring. She took a shaky breath as she looked it over. "God, Lily loved this ring. She wouldn't stop looking at it after she got engaged. I had always assumed it had been buried with her," she said.

Harry shook his head. "It was kept for posterity's sake in the bank. I felt it was only appropriate to give it to my wife as an engagement ring."

Petunia looked up at Hermione and gave her a small smile. "It suits you," she said.

Hermione returned the smile and exchanged her left hand for her right, extending it out to Petunia. "I'm Hermione," she said.

Petunia hesitated for a moment before shaking Hermione's hand. "I'm Petunia. And this is my husband Vernon," she said, looking at her husband. Vernon was still seething but seemed to get the message from his wife and begrudgingly shook Hermione's hand with a muttered "Nice to meet you."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other while Petunia blushed in embarrassment. Right as she was about to speak again, a young man, looking strikingly similar to Laura, appeared. "Is everything okay here?" he asked.

Petunia nodded and smiled. "Of course; we were just catching up with my dear nephew and his wife. Lucas, dear, this is my nephew Harry and his wife, Hermione."

Lucas smiled kindly at the couple and shook both of their hands. "So you're the famous Harry and Hermione. I'm Laura's brother, Lucas. My sister and Dudley have spoken nothing but good things about the two of you; it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The couple smiled back at him and both visibly relaxed after meeting a friendly and non-hostile face. "Likewise," Hermione replied.

Lucas looked to little Teddy and his smile grew. "This must be your son," he said. "Laura mentioned something about him at one point."

Harry nodded, noticing Petunia's surprised expression while Vernon's frown grew, and adjusted the toddler in his arms. "Yes, this is Teddy."

Lucas stuck his hand out to Teddy. "Hello Teddy, I'm Lucas."

Teddy hesitated and looked to Harry for confirmation that this man wasn't bad. At Harry's kind smile and nod, little Teddy took Lucas' hand and shook it as best a four-year-old could. "Hello Mistah Lucas," he said.

"And how old are you, Teddy?" Lucas asked. When Teddy held up four fingers, Lucas gasped. "Four? Well, you know what that means?"

Teddy shook his head and watched in fascination as Lucas reached behind his ear and pulled out a coin. "That means you get this as a gift," he said, handing the coin to Teddy.

The toddler beamed and looked to his parents. "He can do magic too!" Teddy exclaimed.

Harry couldn't help but smirk as he saw Vernon and Petunia tense while Lucas simply looked intrigued. "Oh, do you also dabble in magic?" he asked.

Hermione- always one to think on her feet- began to laugh. "You could say that. I worked as a Blackjack dealer while at University. I learned quite a few card tricks during my time there."

Lucas laughed and nodded. "I can imagine. Well, let's get you seated, shall we?" He led the couple and Teddy away from Vernon and Petunia over to some seats near the front. Once they were all seated, Lucas leaned in close. "Were they nice to you? I know they can be a bit- oh, how can I put this nicely?- rude."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance that Lucas did not miss and he sighed. "I am sorry about that," he said.

Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault, Lucas. I've never gotten along with my aunt and uncle. Hell, until a couple months ago, I never got along with Dudley either. It's just the way it's always been. It doesn't really bother me anymore."

Lucas nodded solemnly. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I like Dudley alright but knowing that my sister is marrying into that… well, it doesn't exactly make me feel very good."

Harry smirked and patted Lucas' shoulder. "Don't worry about them; they've had their heads up their arses for as long as I can remember."

"Language," Hermione said, putting her hands over Teddy's ears.

Harry blushed. "Sorry love," he said.

Lucas chuckled and stood up. "Well, I should go make sure everything's alright behind the scenes. It was lovely to meet you." He bent down and gave Teddy a high five. "See you around, Teddy," he said.

Teddy smiled and waved as Lucas walked away, unaware of the sighs of relief coming from his parents.

* * *

The wedding had been beautiful and Teddy, miraculously, sat through the whole thing without any issues, much to his parent's relief. When the trio left the church to go to the reception venue, Hermione couldn't help but notice how Vernon and Petunia were watching them like hawks. "What the hell do they think we're going to do?" she asked her husband. "Set the place on fire?"

Harry laughed. "Probably. Or they think we're going to leave on broomsticks."

Hermione shook her head furiously. "Not on my watch," she said, causing her husband to laugh again.

The reception was just as beautiful as the ceremony: flowers decorated the room while floating candles sat on every table in a glass jar filled with stones. Harry and Hermione were placed at the same table with Lucas while Vernon and Petunia, thankfully, were placed on the opposite side of the room with Laura and Lucas' parents. They applauded with everyone else when Dudley and Laura entered the room, laughed as Lucas told stories of him and Laura as children, and smiled as Teddy ran onto the dance floor with the flower girl and ring bearer and began to dance like no one was watching.

The couple sat out during the bouquet and garter toss but laughed as Lucas ran across the dance floor right his sister tossed the flowers, nearly getting hit with them in the head. When Dudley came over to their table, they spoke amicably and shared many laughs and genuine smiles. And when Harry and Hermione took to the dancefloor, the rest of the world faded away as they looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

By the end of the night, Teddy was passed out in Hermione's arms, Lucas was more than a little tipsy, Dudley and Laura were dancing in small circles on the dance floor, and Harry smiled as he heard Hermione start to hum a quiet tune to Teddy. "I think it's time we take this one home, don't you think?" Harry said.

Hermione nodded and yawned. "I think you're right," she said.

The couple stood and Harry kissed Hermione on the forehead. "You go ahead and put Teddy in the car; I'll tell Dudley and Laura you said goodbye."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes, love. Go; I'll be there in a second."

She smiled at him and left the reception while Harry walked over to the bride and groom. Laura smiled when she spotted him. "Hi Harry!" she said.

Harry smiled. "Hi. I just wanted to let you two know that we're going to head out."

"So soon?" Laura asked. Harry had to resist laughing knowing it was well after eleven and the reception had started at six-thirty. "Sadly, yes. Teddy's passed out and I think Hermione is right behind him."

Dudley looked around and furrowed his brows. "Where are they anyway?"

"I sent Hermione to the car with Teddy. She looked about ready to fall asleep any minute so I figured it'd be safer if she did that in the car rather than the dance floor."

Dudley laughed. "I completely understand." He extended his hand out to his cousin. "Thank you for coming, Harry."

"Thanks for inviting us, Dudley," Harry replied, shaking his hand. "We'll catch up soon, okay?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Dudley replied.

After giving the couple a hug, Harry made his way out of the reception hall only to be stopped by Petunia. "Yes?" he said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"I just… I wanted to say congratulations. On your marriage, I mean. And on the birth of your son. You two must have had him very young."

Harry nearly told Petunia about Teddy's birth parents but decided against it. At the end of the day, it wasn't any of her business. "He was born during the war," Harry said.

"Oh," Petunia replied quietly. "Well, I- I'm glad you seem to have found happiness. And… I'm sorry. For everything."

Harry was taken aback. "You're s-sorry?"

She nodded solemnly. "I didn't treat you fairly and that wasn't right. If I could take it back, I would. I'm sorry that I can't."

Part of Harry wanted to scream at her for being so horrible to him; for making him believed he could never be loved. But another part of him- the part that sounded distinctly like Hermione- told him to be the bigger person. He'd fought in a war and won; he could forgive his aunt. "I forgive you," he said.

She seemed surprised. "A-are you happy?" she asked.

"Happier than I've ever been," he said.

She gave him a sad smile and nodded. "I'm glad, then," she said. "Truly."

"Thanks Aunt Petunia," Harry said. Petunia stepped out of his way and Harry continued to leave the reception, feeling lighter than he expected. He smiled as he heard Hermione's voice in his head: See? Not all surprises are bad.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Laura's wedding dress and a facecast for Lucas are on the Pinterest board._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	40. Chapter 40

_**A/N: 10 days until graduation...**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 40:**

 _August 2002_

"What did your mum say when she saw your dress?" Hermione asked, as she zipped Ginny's dress up.

Ginny laughed as she looked herself over in the mirror. "She flipped, obviously. 'Wearing a short wedding dress just isn't proper,' she said. I think she forgot that I'm technically already married so it doesn't really matter what kind of dress I wear anyway."

"I'm not sure your mother would agree with that," Hermione replied causing Ginny to laugh again and shrug in indifference.

The redhead slipped on her ballet flats and smiled. "Okay; I guess I'm ready."

Hermione smiled at her friend. "You look beautiful, Gin," she said.

Ginny's smile grew and she hugged Hermione close. "Thank you for doing this with me."

Hermione pulled out of the hug and brushed a curl behind Ginny's ear. "I wouldn't miss it for the world… considering I missed it the first time."

Ginny giggled. "Sorry."

Hermione shook her head and linked her arm with Ginny's. "Shall we?"

Ginny smiled and nodded. "We shall."

Ginny and Neville's wedding was short and simple, just like they wanted. Molly, of course, had insisted on a large wedding but the couple dug their heels in and convinced the Weasley matriarch that the big wedding wouldn't be necessary- after all, they were already married. Instead, the wedding was held in front of their closest friends and family on the Burrow property while Arthur and Molly cried, Augusta beamed with pride, and Harry did his best to officiate the wedding without stumbling over his words. When the ceremony finished, there was dancing, laughter, and food galore as the wedding went on until the early hours of the morning.

When Harry and Hermione finally returned home, Teddy fast asleep in Harry's arms, the elves had all gone to bed but not without leaving a tray full of biscuits and tea for the couple. As Harry put Teddy to bed, Hermione changed out of her dress and into Harry's robe (his was much larger and much warmer than hers) and snacked on a biscuit while Harry walked back into the room and changed. "Tonight was fun," Hermione said as she watched Harry throw his tie into the closet.

He smiled and nodded. "I'm happy for them," he said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

Harry grabbed a biscuit and nibbled on it. "Although, I admit, how they kept their marriage quiet for so long before that big blowup at dinner is amazing to me."

"You know Augusta had known for months before Gin and Neville told her?" Hermione said.

Harry's eyes widened. "What?"

She nodded. "Apparently, Neville forgot the disillusionment charm on his hand so his wedding band was just out in the open for her to see."

"And she was okay with the fact that they never told her?"

Hermione shrugged. "Apparently, Augusta understood their desire to keep it quiet and didn't really care that they didn't tell her at first."

"Talk about a night and day difference between her and Molly," Harry mused.

Hermione laughed, causing Harry to smile. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "I love you, you know," he said.

"I know," she replied. She kissed his lips softly, her fingers softly running through his hair. "I love you too," she replied.

He kissed her again then picked her up bridal style, leading her to the bed where he proved to her how much he loved her all night long.

* * *

 _Early September 2002_

 _Hermione was running. From what, she wasn't sure. She just knew she had to get away from what was chasing her. She had no other choice; it was run or be killed. She watched as the Forest of Dean flew past her as she ran as fast as she could, terror taking over her body. She could see a clearing in front of her and began to run faster, her heart pounding in her chest. Just as she reached the clearing however, whatever was chasing her tackled her to the ground and the last thing she hears is the sound of someone crying…_

Hermione sat up and stayed in bed for a matter of seconds before throwing the covers off herself and running into the bathroom to throw up into the toilet. She coughed as the bile left her body and was immediately grateful when she felt a pair of hands pull her hair behind her and rub soothing circles into her back. She tried to look at Harry but heaved into the toilet again before she could turn her head.

When the contents of her stomach were finally empty and she couldn't throw up anymore, she flushed the toilet and fell backwards onto her rear and leaned into Harry who was rubbing his hands up and down her arms. He pulled the kleenex box from the counter and handed a tissue to Hermione to wipe her mouth as Dahlia popped into the room with a glass of water. "Thank you, Dahlia," Harry said.

"Can I help the mistress with anything else?"

Hermione shook her head. "I'm okay Dahlia, thank you though."

Dahlia nodded and disappeared with a 'pop' as Harry helped Hermione to her feet. "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded and walked over to the sink to rinse out her mouth while Harry stood close by. He waited a moment before speaking, his voice quiet. "Was it the nightmare again?"

Hermione leaned on the counter and nodded. "Yeah; third one this week." They stood in silence for a second before she spoke again. "I think I need to go see Melody."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I think that'd be a good idea. She might have some insight on this."

Hermione sniffled and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, burying her face into his chest. "I don't understand; the nightmares stopped. I thought they were gone for good. Why are they back?"

"Maybe you're stressed?" Harry suggested. "You have been pretty busy with work and the new department."

She shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know."

Harry kissed the top of her head and held her tight. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it together. But for now, you need to sleep," he said. He led her back to bed and tucked her in, putting the glass of water on her bedside table before crawling under the covers with her. She cuddled up closely to him and drifted off to sleep quickly, spending the rest of the night nightmare free, thankfully.

* * *

 _One Week Later_

Hermione sighed in frustration. "I don't understand; the nightmares stopped _years_ ago. Why are they making a sudden reappearance?"

Melody scribbled something into her notebook before answering. "I think part of it has to do with stress. With the new department opening and the research you're still doing all while trying to be a good mother and wife; it's not exactly an easy job, what you're doing."

Hermione nodded. "I know. And Harry's been very good about making sure that I'm not working too hard but I still don't understand: why are they back?"

Melody shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't have an answer. Keep an eye on them and see if they get any worse or if they change. Every time you have one, write it down in a journal. Maybe the answer for why they're back is hiding in the dream itself and if you write them down, we'll be able to decipher it."

Hermione nodded. "Okay."

* * *

 _September 2002_

Hermione looked at the small muggle test in her hands- the third of which she had taken- and started shaking. _No, no, no!_ How could this have happened? They had been so careful and she had been _sure_ that she had been taking her contraceptive potion daily… how could this have happened?

Hermione dropped the test onto the counter and took a deep breath. She was pregnant; and she was terrified.

After the miscarriage, she and Harry had made a point to avoid another pregnancy for the time being. Losing the baby had been devastating for Hermione and she didn't want to get excited about the prospect of another child, knowing they might lose it again. And after they adopted Teddy, having a baby became less of a priority because they became so focused on their son.

But now… Teddy was going to be a big brother; and Hermione didn't know how to feel. She knew she should have been excited but she was paralyzed with fear; what if she lost the baby again? She wasn't sure she could handle that kind of heartbreak.

And then there was the option of what if she _didn't_ lose the baby? What if she managed to carry it to term but then what? Raising Teddy was easy because they adopted him as a toddler- the infant stages had already passed. Hermione didn't know the first thing about taking care of an infant. What if she was horrible at it?

Realizing she was about to have an anxiety attack, she ran out of the room and to the closest floo. She needed to be reassured that everything would be okay. She needed _him_.

* * *

The bell rang and Harry dismissed his last class of the day. "Don't forget, your essays on Defensive spells are due Monday," he said.

His students filed out of the classroom and Harry organized some papers on his desk before climbing the stairs to his office. When he opened the office door, he stopped dead in his tracks to find his wife, with tears rolling down her face, leaning against his desk. "Hermione?" he said.

Hermione looked up and threw herself into his arms, her body shaking with sobs. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked.

She pulled out of the hug and took a deep breath before speaking. "I- I know why I've been having those nightmares," she said. Harry waited as she found the words she needed. "I- I'm pregnant. I did the math and… I'm a-about six weeks along."

Harry's jaw dropped and he could feel excitement beginning to run through his veins but by the look on Hermione's face, he knew it would be best if he held onto that for a little longer. He tentatively reached out to Hermione and rested his hands on her arms. "This- this is good news right? Or… it should be, I would think?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know, Harry. I'm so scared."

"Scared of what, love?"

She sniffled. "O-of losing it again. Of not being a good enough wife because I wouldn't be able to carry term. Of not knowing the first thing about raising a baby since we only started raising Teddy as a toddler and-"

"Shh," Harry said, pulling Hermione into a hug. He kissed the top of her head and held her tight as she shook and tears ran down her face. He pulled out of the hug and looked her in the eyes as he spoke again. "Listen to me: we are going to get through this. If, for any reason, you have another miscarriage, we'll get through it. I won't lie; I would be absolutely devastated if we lost this baby. But I will not go anywhere. I will stay with you and I will support you, no matter how this turns out and _when_ this baby is born, I will be with you every step of the way as we both learn to change nappies, take turns getting up in the middle of the night, and making sure Teddy will be the best big brother he can be." He wiped tears off her cheeks and smiled. "You will always be good enough for me, Hermione. Don't ever think that you're not." She gave him a small smile and wrapped her hands around his wrists. "It's you and me from now until forever, remember?"

She nodded and he kissed her softly. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded and sniffled. "Yeah, I- I think so."

His smile grew slightly. "Do I have permission to be excited now?"

She giggled and nodded and in one swift movement, Harry picked up Hermione and spun her around, a grin on his face and Hermione laughing. When he put her down, he hugged her tightly and kissed her temple. "We're gonna get through this together, love," he said. "I promise."

She burrowed her face into his neck and nodded, believing him. Although she was terrified, she trusted him and knew that he was right; no matter what happened, they'd get through it together.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Ginny's wedding dress is on the Pinterest board_**

 ** _I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there's only two chapters left, including the epilogue. Get ready friends, we're almost done..._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	41. Chapter 41

_**A/N: I am OFFICIALLY DONE WITH COLLEGE FOREVER! I took my last final(s) today and I graduate on Thursday! Whoooo hooooo!**_

 _ **I apologize for the delay in updating, I've been dealing with a lot on my plate and apparently FFN decided to break and not alert people about chapter updates so I will be posting this on various other forums. Please spread the word about the chapter update! Just until FFN fixes this glitch.**_

 _ **Alright kids, get ready. This is the longest chapter in the story.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 41:**

 _October 2002_

 _10 Weeks_

Daphne smiled as she finished Hermione's exam. "Everything is looking good so far, love. No issues, no weird anomalies. I don't want to jump the gun- as the muggles say- too quickly but I have a gut feeling you're going to be just fine."

Hermione smiled and placed her hand on her abdomen. "I feel so bad for Harry," she said. "My mood swings have been a bit… well, hectic. He's been a saint, dealing with me."

Daphne laughed. "He better hold on tight then, it only gets more hectic from here on out."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "I'll be sure to give him a fair warning."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate that," Daphne said.

Hermione took Daphne's hand in hers and squeezed. "Daph, I can't thank you enough for your discretion. I know it may seem silly but Harry and I agreed that we don't want anyone to know until we're sure that- that everything is going to be okay."

Daphne smiled and squeezed Hermione's hand back. "It's no trouble. I understand your hesitation and I can promise you that I won't say a word until you make the announcement. After that, though, you can expect that I'll be decorating your nursery with everything I can find that will make your little one happy."

Hermione laughed. "We don't even know the gender, Daph. Don't you think you should hold off on decorating just yet."

Daphne winked at her. "For now."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, anyway, thank you again, Daph. Now, let's get back to work before people begin suspect something."

"Should you really be around the potions right now?" Daphne asked.

Hermione smirked. "I've cast a spell that clears the air around me; even though I can still smell the potions, it won't effect me in the slightest."

Daphne smiled. "You always think of everything."

"Someone has to, don't they?" Hermione asked.

Daphne laughed and linked her arm with Hermione's. "Yes, I suppose they do."

* * *

 _October 2002_

 _12 Weeks_

Hermione lied awake, listening to the sounds of the morning. The birds were quietly chirping outside, she could hear the elves moving about downstairs, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Teddy would come through the bedroom door any moment and crawl into bed with her and Harry.

She smiled at the thought and ran her hands down her stomach, stopping when she realized her stomach felt different. After running her hand over her abdomen a couple more times, her smile grew as she realized what it was: her stomach had grown. Which meant the baby had grown.

She felt a swell of excitement as she realized that Daphne might be right. She was probably going to be fine. They both were.

Harry stirred next to her and she turned on her side to face him. "Hi," she said.

"Hi, he replied. "You're up early."

She shrugged. "I woke up about thirty minutes ago. Couldn't fall back asleep."

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded, taking his hand and placing it on her abdomen. "Everything is just fine."

Harry felt the small bump under his hand and smiled. "How big is our little one right now?"

"According to the pregnancy book, the baby should be the size of a plum," Hermione answered.

Harry thought for a moment. "Hm, I like plums."

Hermione laughed and kissed his lips softly. "Me too, love."

Just then the bedroom door opened and a little blue-haired Teddy wandered into the room, dragging his teddy bear with him. Harry turned around and smiled at his son, bringing him up to the bed and placing him right in the middle of the bed, between himself and Hermione. "Good morning, Teddy," Hermione said.

"Good morning, mummy," Teddy replied.

Hermione winked at Harry before speaking next. "Teddy can you keep a secret?" Teddy nodded and Harry smiled. Hermione brushed some fringe from Teddy's face and smiled. "You're going to be a big brother."

Teddy thought for a moment before realization appeared on his face. "I'm gonna have a little brother?" he said.

Harry chuckled. "We're not sure yet, Teddy. It could be a little sister."

Teddy shook his head. "No, I want a brother," he replied.

Hermione ran her fingers through Teddy's hair and shook her head. "We'll do our best, love, but we can't do anything about it if the baby's a girl."

Teddy seemed disappointed at the thought, he shrugged. "I guess a sister wouldn't be too bad."

Harry and Hermione laughed and Harry kissed Teddy's head. "No matter what the baby turns out to be, I know you'll be an amazing brother to it, right?"

Teddy nodded vigorously. "Yes, I will! I'll be the best big brother ever!"

Hermione chuckled. "I'm sure you will, love."

"When is he getting here?" Teddy said, not giving up on his hopes for a brother.

Hermione sighed. "Not for a few more months, love. You'll have to be patient."

"But for how long?" Teddy said.

"About six more months, love. We're expecting it in April."

Teddy sighed in exasperation. "But that's so far awayyyyy!"

Harry laughed. "Yes it is. But it will give you plenty of time to prepare to be the best brother ever, right?"

Teddy thought for a moment. "I guess."

Harry smiled and kissed Teddy's head, taking Hermione's hand in his. "You'll be great, Teddy. I know it."

* * *

 _31 October 2002_

 _14 Weeks_

Harry and Hermione stood in the graveyard in Godric's Hollow, holding hands. "We have some news," Harry told the tombstones. Hermione smiled at him and placed her hand on her abdomen. "Hermione's pregnant," he said. "She's due in April."

"Other than Teddy and Daphne, you're the first that we've told. We want to wait a few more days before we break the news to everyone else," Hermione said. "Now that risk for miscarriage has reduced significantly, we can finally relax and start properly preparing for this baby."

"Teddy wants it to be a boy but we're trying to explain to him that it might be a girl too. He's not too pleased with the idea," Harry said. "But he'll get used to it."

Hermione conjured a wreath of flowers with her wand and placed it at the base of the tombstone. "I'm sorry you can't be here to meet the baby. Something tells me they'd be spoiled rotten by you two." Harry wrapped his arm around her waist and she smiled. "It's about the size of a peach right now, according to the books I've been reading."

Harry smiled sadly. "I really wish you could be here; you, and Sirius, and Remus. I wish you could all meet the baby. Sure, it'll have the portraits but- it's just not the same. It's not _you_." He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his free hand. "We'll tell them all about you," he said. It took Hermione a moment before realizing when Harry said _them_ , he was including Teddy as well. "We'll tell them how you met and how you fell in love and who you were and who Remus and Sirius were and we'll even tell them about Peter. And, when they're old enough, we'll bring them here and introduce them to you properly." His voice dropped to a whisper as tears ran down his face. "We'll make you proud. I promise."

"They already are proud of you, Harry," Hermione said. "And they always will be."

He gave her a sad smile and squeezed her side. "Ready?"

She nodded. "You go ahead. I'll be right there."

He nodded and kissed her temple before leaving the graveyard and waiting at the gate. Hermione rested her hand on the tombstone and smiled. "It's a boy," she said, quietly. It was too early to tell but Hermione knew- in her gut- that they were having a little boy. With a final smirk, she turned around and joined Harry outside the gate, apparating out of Godric's Hollow and back to the walls of the manor where Teddy was waiting for them.

* * *

 _November 2002_

 _16 Weeks_

Hermione stood up from the table and tapped her glass with a knife to get everyone's attention. Everyone looked at her and she glanced at Harry who was struggling to hide his smile. "I just wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight. As it turns out, we did have ulterior motives for inviting you all here rather than just having a nice dinner with our family and friends." Harry took her hand in his and she took a deep breath before speaking. "We're going to have a baby," she said, grinning.

Liz was the first to react. Before anyone else could comprehend what Hermione had just said, Liz was out of her seat and hugging Hermione tightly, crying tears of happiness. "Liz, let the girl breathe, would you?" Josh said, standing up. "You don't want to crush the poor girl."

Liz loosened her grip on her daughter but still held on tight while the rest of the table erupted in congratulations. Josh hugged his daughter and wife close, giving Hermione a kiss on the forehead, before walking over to Harry and hugging him close. "You two have already done an amazing job with Teddy," he said. "I know you'll do just as amazing with this one."

Harry beamed. "Thank you, Josh."

Josh smiled and patted Harry on the shoulder before lightly pulling Liz off Hermione so she could be tackled by both Ginny and Astoria. "I'm so happy for you," Ginny said.

Hermione laughed. "Thank you, Gin."

"Is everything okay with… with the baby?" Astoria asked.

Hermione nodded. "I'm already in my second trimester and everything is going perfectly. Although, I admit, I do have Daphne to thank for that."

Ginny and Astoria looked to the blonde who was smirking. "You knew?" Astoria asked.

Daphne nodded. "I've been monitoring her pregnancy since practically the beginning. Everything is going smoothly." Hermione smiled in relief at her friend and squeezed her hand. Before the three women could get another word in, Molly pulled Hermione into a tight hug, sobbing happily. The three laughed as they watched a confused Hermione comfort Molly while also trying to break out of her tight grip. "Merlin help you when you have children, Gin," Daphne said.

Ginny laughed nervously. "Yeah, no kidding."

When Molly released Hermione, Ginny pulled Hermione aside. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

"Of course," Hermione answered.

Ginny smiled and squeezed Hermione's hands. "Don't tell anyone; the only other person who knows is Neville but… I'm pregnant too."

Hermione grinned and nearly squealed in excitement. "Oh my god, Ginny, _really_? That's so exciting; congratulations!"

Ginny's smile grew. "Thank you; I don't want to take away your thunder so we won't be making an announcement for another couple weeks but I just wanted you to know."

"Oh you wouldn't be stealing my thunder at all," Hermione said. "Don't be silly!"

Ginny shrugged. "Either way; we want to keep it under wraps for now but once I hit ten weeks, we're thinking of telling everyone. So just keep it quiet for now, okay?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "My lips are sealed."

* * *

 _25 November 2002_

 _18 Weeks_

"Happy Anniversary, love," Harry said, kissing Hermione softly.

She smiled and caressed his face with her hand. "Happy Anniversary, Harry," she replied.

He sat next to her on the sofa in the study and placed her feet in his lap. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he began to rub her feet.

She groaned and he chuckled. "I'm only at eighteen weeks and already I feel like I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over." She gestured to his hands. "Look at my ankles! How does anyone expect me to walk with those giant things attached to my feet?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, love. Your ankles look fine to me."

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water. "You're only saying that so I don't hex you."

"Perhaps," he said.

She almost made a snarky comment in return but froze when she felt something move inside her. "Hermione?" Harry asked. She shook her head and waited; sure enough, it happened again. Taking one of Harry's hands, she put it on her slightly bulging belly and watched his face as he looked at her confused. "Can you feel that?" she asked.

"Feel what?"

"I felt it move!" she said, excitedly.

Harry's eyes widened and they sat in silence for a moment as they waited for the baby to move again. When it did, Hermione looked to Harry but he had no reaction. Her shoulders fell in disappointment. "I guess it's too small for you to feel the movement yet," she said.

Harry chuckled and kissed her lips softly. "Don't be sad, love," he said. "I'll feel it soon enough. You just enjoy that you're the only one who gets to feel it move for now." She smiled and nodded.

* * *

 _Late December 2002_

 _23 Weeks_

Hermione walked into what would eventually be the nursery and watched as Harry and Dahlia worked around the room. The walls were being painted magically while Dahlia was sewing a blanket together and Harry was assembling the crib- the muggle way. "Why don't you just use magic?" she asked.

Harry looked up and frowned. "Because, for reasons unknown to myself, I'm a stubborn bastard and I wanted to try putting it together myself."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You do that, then." She bit her lip before speaking again. "Can I borrow you for a second, actually?" she said.

Harry nodded and placed the half-assembled crib on the floor and followed his wife out of the nursery and downstairs to the study. She sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her for him to sit down. "I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" he asked.

She sighed. "There's no easy way to say this." He waited as she took a deep breath and found the right words. "Okay, here goes. Harry, I- I don't want to name the baby after your parents."

Harry felt his stomach clench. "I- what?"

She tentatively reached out for his hand but he pulled away before she could touch him. "Please, just let me explain," she said. "I've put a lot of thought into this and I kept coming back to the same conclusion."

"And what conclusion was that?" he asked, his voice bitter.

She hesitated before answering. "That… I think naming the baby after your parents would be a mistake."

"Excuse me?" he said, his anger rising.

"Harry, think about it: this baby is going to be named after someone they've never met and they have to live knowing that they're named after someone who left this legacy behind that they'll only _hear_ about. They're never going to know who James and Lily were- not personally anyway. They're not going to be anything like your parents; they're going to be their own person and I want them to have their own identity. I don't want them to be haunted by their namesake and try to live up to who James and Lily were.

"Teddy is already named after two people whom he'll never meet. Do you really want to put our next child through the same thing when they're old enough to understand who their namesake was? Because I don't. I won't. I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't do that. Not to our baby."

Harry had tears running down his cheeks and felt as if his heart was being crushed. He knew she was right. But he was hurting and right now, all he wanted to do was scream. "Harry, please say something," Hermione said.

He shook his head and stood up, walking towards the fireplace. "Harry, wait! You can't just leave! Not now."

"I just need some time, Hermione," he said, his voice cold. She stopped when she heard the hurt in his voice. "Harry, please. Don't leave. Let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to say, Hermione. You've made your point."

"Where are you going?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes.

He shook his head as he took a handful of floo powder. "I don't know."

"Harry, wait!" she said as she watched him disappear behind the green flames. She felt the tears slide down her face as she made eye contact with the portrait of James above the fireplace. "I suppose you're mad at me too?" she spat.

The portrait shook his head. "No; I think you're right."

Unable to stop the tears from falling, she sat on the couch and buried her face into her hands and burst into tears, feeling absolutely helpless.

* * *

"You did _what_?!" Val exclaimed.

Harry ran his hands through his hair. "I know, I know; I'm a horrible person for leaving!"

"That's the understatement of the century!" she said, anger clear on her face.

"I can't explain it, Val; I just shut down as she was explaining her reasoning and all I felt I could do in that moment was run. I feel absolutely horrible and I have no idea how I'll make it up to her or what I'm going to say when I get back-"

"The first thing you're going to say is 'I'm sorry,'" Val said, her voice stern. "And then the next thing you're going to do is tell her that you love her and that you're the biggest idiot to grace the planet. How could you do that to her?!" Harry flinched at the anger in Val's voice and wished he didn't feel like such a small child being scolded by his mother. "Your wife tells you what she thinks would be best for _your_ child and you respond by _leaving her alone_! She's probably worried sick about you right now."

"She probably doesn't want to see me either," he muttered.

"She'd be right not to," Val said. "That doesn't matter. You're going to go home and grovel at her feet and prove yourself worthy of her whether she wants to see you or not. And, I swear to Merlin, Harry if the first words out of your mouth aren't 'I'm sorry' when you see her, I will wring your neck. You may have killed a Dark Lord, but that doesn't mean you can escape me."

He chuckled but there was no humor behind it. "I- I just wanted to honor my parents, Val."

She sighed, her anger subsiding as she heard the defeat in his voice. "I know, love. But Hermione's right. It wouldn't be so much honoring your parents as it would putting this weight on your child's shoulders that they'll feel they'll have to carry for the rest of their lives. Do you really want to do that?"

He sighed and shook his head. "No, of course not."

She rested her hands on his shoulders and brushed some fringe from his face. "There are other ways to honor your parents, Harry. Just by living and being the best person you can be is enough to honor their memory. No matter what, I know they're proud of you."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Val."

Val smiled and pulled Harry into a tight hug before releasing him and looking him in the eye. "Now, what's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?"

Harry chuckled. "Apologize to my wife, tell her I love her, and grovel at her feet, begging for forgiveness."

Val winked at him. "Good boy. On you go."

As Harry began to leave, he turned around to Val and smiled. "Thanks again, Val."

She nodded. "You're welcome, Harry." Then he turned around and disappeared behind a veil of green.

Michel walked out of another room and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Well, that went well," he said.

"I think so too," she replied.

"I haven't seen you that angry in a while," he commented. "I thought you were going to hex the boy."

"Oh, believe me, I considered it." He chuckled and she leaned back into him. "He just needed some guidance, is all. I might have been a bit too harsh but I think he needed it."

Michel smiled and kissed his wife's cheek. "You never fail to amaze me, my dear."

"I should hope not. Otherwise this marriage would be very boring," she said, causing her husband to laugh.

* * *

When Harry returned to the manor, the study was empty. He looked to the portrait of his parents and saw they were both looking at him with disappointment in their eyes. "She's in the back," Lily said.

Harry swallowed nervously and nodded. Steeling his nerves, he walked to the back garden, bracing himself for whatever he would be hit with when he walked outside. Instead, he was hit with the warmth of a heating charm, a light snow falling with Teddy running around, building snowman after snowman, and Hermione sitting on the porch swing, with a blanket wrapped around her, a small smile on her face as she watched Teddy play. Harry's stomach clenched as the full force of what an idiot he had been hit him. God, he was horrible.

Taking a step towards her, Hermione turned her head and her smile fell as they made eye contact. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied, her voice quiet.

Harry tentatively walked towards her and crouched in front of her on the swing. He didn't reach for her; he knew better than to tempt her with the option of hexing him. "I'm sorry," he said. Her eyes flashed with surprise but he kept going, not wanting to forget what he wanted to say to her. "And I love you. I'm the worst husband ever and I'm so sorry that I left and that I hurt you. I don't have a good excuse for what happened; I just shut down and the only thing I knew to do was get away for a while. I realize now that was the worst thing I could have done. I wish I could take it back but I can't. All I can say is I'm so, so sorry. And I know I don't deserve it, but I'll do everything I can to earn your forgiveness."

She had tears running down her face and sniffled. "God, you're such an idiot," she said. Then, she surprised him by taking his face in her hands and kissing him. He rested his hands on the swing so he wouldn't fall on her and kissed her back. When they broke for air, she looked at him breathless. "I'm still mad at you."

"As you should be."

"And if I wasn't pregnant, I'd hex you right now."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"So help me, Harry, if you ever do anything like that again, I'll kill you."

He chuckled. "I will have absolutely deserved it."

She smiled and wiped away the tears, patting the seat next to her. He joined her on the swing and wrapped his arms around her as she curled up next to him. He glanced out at Teddy- who was now making snow angels on the ground- before kissing Hermione's forehead and resting his hand on her belly. "I'm still sorry," he said.

"I know," she replied. "But I'm not quite ready to forgive you fully."

"Take your time, love. I wouldn't forgive me fully yet, either."

They sat in silence for a moment before Hermione spoke again. "So, I was actually thinking about our conversation from earlier."

"I have been too," he said.

"Oh, really?" she asked. "What were you thinking?"

"That you're right," he replied. "That naming the baby after my parents wouldn't be the best idea."

She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Thank you for saying that; however, I think I've found a way for us to compromise."

"Oh?"

"What if we gave the baby their own name, _but_ make their middle name after your parents. If it's a boy, it can be Something James Potter and if it's a girl it can be Someone Lily Potter. What do you think?"

He smiled. "That sounds like an excellent plan. Just promise me we're not going to name our child Something or Someone."

She laughed. "Deal."

* * *

Harry moaned as Hermione rocked her hips against him. He ran his hands up her thighs as they found a steady rhythm with each other, Hermione controlling everything from her position. He bucked his hips against her and Hermione moaned at the feeling; taking his hands in hers, she held them above his head as she rocked her hips faster and harder against him. He moaned her name, loudly, making her terribly grateful for the permanent silencing charm they had placed on the room. The last thing they needed was the elves- or worse, Teddy- hearing what they were up to.

Hermione moaned as she felt her climax coming but didn't stop. Instead, she picked up the pace more until both of them were screaming out each other's names in their climax, a layer of sweat decorating both their bodies.

As they came down from their climax, Harry sat up and kissed Hermione softly, his hands resting on her growing belly. "You okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm great," she replied. She kissed him again, just as softly as before. "Now, I forgive you," she said.

He laughed and kissed her lips one last time. "I love you," he said. "But now I'm going to take a shower; care to join me?"

"Do you really think I'd say no?" she asked and Harry laughed, leading her to the shower.

* * *

 _Early February 2003_

 _28 Weeks_

"So, you've officially hit the home stretch," Daphne said. "How do you feel?"

Hermione groaned. "Like I'd love nothing more than to just have the baby already!"

Daphne laughed. "Been there, done that. The final trimester is always when it seems the longest but I promise you, it'll fly by."

Hermione ran her hands over her belly and sighed. "I know; it's just hard for me to stay optimistic right now since I'm barely sleeping. Poor Harry; how I haven't managed to kick him out of bed yet is a miracle."

Daphne laughed again and nodded in understanding. "How's Teddy?"

"He's excited," Hermione said. "He's still adamant that he's going to have a little brother, of course; but he's very excited nonetheless. We've been preparing him for weeks about what it'll be like after the baby comes but I don't think he'll understand the gravity of everything until after he comes."

"He?"

Hermione smiled. "Don't tell anyone but I have a gut feeling that it's going to be a boy."

"Have you told Harry?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't want to say anything and possibly get his hopes up just in case I'm wrong and it is a girl."

"You're never wrong, Hermione; I doubt you'd be wrong about this," Daphne said.

Hermione shrugged. "Still, I'd rather not take any chances." Daphne smiled in understanding and Hermione squeezed her hand. "If I may segue here, I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" she asked.

"Would you and Ron be the baby's godparents?" Hermione asked.

Daphne grinned and nodded. "Yes, absolutely."

"Really?" Hermione asked, smiling. When Daphne nodded again, her smile grew. "Thank you, Daph."

"No, Hermione; thank you."

* * *

 _March 2003_

 _32 Weeks_

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She was excited for the baby and she was excited to start this new chapter in her life with Harry and Teddy but _Merlin,_ was she ready to stop looking like a planet.

Sleeping was near to impossible, every single part of her was uncomfortable, and all she wanted was a good cup of coffee but had been placed on a caffeine ban by both her husband and her mother from the moment she announced her pregnancy.

She turned and looked at herself sideways in the mirror. She tried to remember if Daphne or Fleur had looked so large when they hit their 32 week marks but all she remembered was both of them looking flawless and completely in their element; hell, even Ginny looked comfortable with her large belly. Hermione, however, felt as if she looked like someone had stuck a globe to her front. Her small stature made her look particularly huge and she _hated_ it. Merlin, what she would give to have this baby already.

"Hermione?" she heard Harry ask. She turned around to find Harry watching her from the doorway. "You okay?" he asked.

She sighed and shook her head. "What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"I just want this baby to come out already!" she exclaimed. "I look like a planet, I feel horrible, and I just want to be able to sleep without feeling like a giant globe is attached to me."

Harry chuckled and walked over to his wife, kissing her forehead. "I know you're miserable, love. But look at it this way: it's just a couple more weeks until we get to meet our baby. I know that seems like forever but it will fly by; I promise." He kissed her lips softly and smiled at her. "And I don't think you look like a planet. I think you look rather amazing, actually."

She scoffed. "I'm serious, Hermione; you're so tiny, yet you're carrying our child around like it's no big deal. How you haven't fallen over is astounding to me."

A smile grew on her face and she chuckled. "It's a female thing, Harry; you wouldn't understand."

"I'm sure I wouldn't," he said, kissing her again.

* * *

 _16 April 2003_

 _39 Weeks_

Hermione woke up early in the morning; she could see the sun was starting to rise by the light coming from behind the window curtain. Unsure of what woke her up, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes only to open them back up when she felt a sharp pain in her lower back. Groaning, she rolled to her left side- that was usually how she got the false contractions to go away.

Except, this time, they didn't.

Hermione laid in bed for another thirty minutes, fighting the pain in her lower back- and now lower abdomen- Hermione sighed in defeat. She couldn't deny it any longer; she was in labor. After reading every pregnancy book she could get her hands on, she knew this was probably early labor and they'd have to get to the hospital soon- assuming everything went according to plan like she had read.

Very slowly and gently, Hermione got out of bed and changed clothes, putting her bed clothes in the overnight bag she and Harry had prepared weeks ago. She looked inside the bag and triple checked that everything they would need was in there, stopping only a couple of times to let the contractions pass. Once she was sure everything was there and they wouldn't forget anything, she quietly called Dahlia.

The little elf appeared in the room and Hermione put a finger over her lips, silently telling the little elf to be quiet. "Would you bring a cup of coffee for Harry and some water for me, please?"

"Yes, Mistress," Dahlia replied, quietly, before disappearing with a 'pop.' She returned moments later with a tray full of food and the drinks Hermione requested.

"Thank you, Dahlia," Hermione said. The little elf smiled and disappeared while Hermione sat back down on the bed and ate, looking over some files for the Muggle Ailments and Diseases Ward (or as Daphne called it: the M.A.D. Ward).

Hermione knew bringing coffee into the room would be a good idea when Harry began to stir awake. "Huh, wha?" he said, looking up at her, bleary eyed.

"Good morning," she smiled.

He looked at the clock on his bedside table and sighed. "Hermione it's not even seven am. Go back to sleep."

"I can't," Hermione said.

"What? Why?" he asked, still half asleep.

She chuckled. "Harry, I'm in labor."

His eyes widened and he shot up out of bed. "What? Are you okay? What do I need to do? What-"

"Harry," she said, stopping his ramblings. "I'm fine. The contractions aren't horrible yet. We don't even need to go to the hospital until the contractions worsen. Right now, it's just a waiting game."

He nodded and sat up, putting his glasses on. "Well, is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Oh, I had Dahlia bring you some coffee."

He smiled and kissed her temple. "You think of everything," he said.

"Well, someone has to," she said and he laughed.

* * *

Several hours later, Hermione was lying in a hospital bed in St. Mungo's, squeezing Harry's hand tightly as she breathed through her worst contraction yet. "Agh!" She exclaimed. "Is it too late to take that pain relief potion?" she asked, once the pain subsided.

The mediwitch chuckled. "I was just about to offer it to you one last time."

Hermione nodded fervently as she fought her way through another contraction. The mediwitch administered the pain relief potion to Hermione and she loosened her grip on Harry's hand. "Anyone who does this naturally without that potion is insane," Hermione said.

Harry chuckled and kissed her temple. "I'm going to go check on Teddy. I'll be back, okay?"

She nodded and laid her head back on the pillow, closing her eyes. Harry left the room and wandered into the lobby, spotting Teddy playing with his teddy bear while Liz and Josh talked to each to each other, quietly. "Hi kiddo," Harry said.

"Daddy play!" Teddy said, grinning. Harry kissed his son's head. "Not right now, Teddy, I have to be with mummy. But as soon as we get home, I'll play with you; deal?"

Teddy nodded and returned to playing with his bear while Harry looked to his in-laws. "How're you guys holding up?"

Josh smiled. "We're doing fine, Harry. I think the better question is how are _you_ holding up?"

Harry shrugged. "It hasn't really hit me yet, I don't think."

"It will," Liz said, smirking. "Just wait."

Harry sighed and sat down next to Liz. "How do I know I won't mess this up?"

Josh chuckled. "You're still worried about that? Even after Teddy came into your lives?"

Harry nodded. "We didn't raise Teddy from infancy; Andromeda did. By the time we adopted him, he was a toddler and moving on his own and speaking and knowing the very basics of life. We're starting completely over with this baby."

Liz ran her hand up and down Harry's back, comfortingly. "I understand your hesitation and fear, Harry. But I promise, you will be fine. I'm not going to say that parenthood is a piece of cake; as I'm sure you've already figured out, there's good days and bad days and days when you'd love nothing more than to just stay in bed all day but it's next to impossible when you have a toddler jumping on you, insisting you play with them. But for every bad day that you have, there will be hundreds of good ones and at the end of the day, no matter what happened beforehand, you'll always be grateful for your family. I know I was." Josh smiled and took Liz's free hand into his own, kissing it softly.

Harry smiled and nodded. "You're right; thank you."

The Grangers smiled at their son-in-law before Josh's attention was drawn elsewhere. "Hey Harry, isn't that your friend Neville?"

Harry looked up to find a very disheveled and tired looking Neville walk into the lobby. "Neville!" Harry exclaimed, standing up and walking over to his friend.

Neville looked up and smiled when he saw his friend walk over to him. "Hi Harry," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Ginny went into early labor this morning," Neville explained. "We've been here for about an hour now and Molly just showed up with Arthur- the rest of the Weasleys are coming later. She's fussing over Ginny right now- something which Ginny isn't happy about- so I snuck out of the room to find Arthur so he could get Molly to back off but he seems to be missing now." He shook his head. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Harry smirked and watched as Neville pieced together why Harry, Teddy, and the Grangers would all be at the hospital. "No way; Hermione's in labor?"

"Has been since this morning," Harry said, smiling.

Neville grinned and hugged his friend. "Congratulations, mate!"

"You as well, Neville," Harry said. "So our kids will have the same birthday; you know, I don't think it will ever cease to amaze me how connected our lives are," he mused.

Neville laughed. "I was just thinking the same thing." The two stood in silence for a moment before Neville spoke again. "Are you ready?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Yeah; I think I am. You?"

Neville nodded. "Definitely," he said.

"Mr. Potter?" a mediwitch said. "Your wife is asking for you."

"Thank you," Harry replied. He looked back at Neville. "In all the hype of Hermione being in labor, I forgot to owl the Weasleys letting them know what's going on. Would you mind passing on my congratulations to Ginny and letting everyone else know Hermione and I are here too?"

Neville smiled. "Of course, Harry." The two hugged once more before Harry returned to Hermione's room.

"Hi," he smiled.

"Hi," she replied.

"Guess who I just ran into," he said, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Who?"

"Neville; Ginny, apparently, is also in labor."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? But she's not due for a few more weeks!"

Harry nodded. "I know; but Neville seemed incredibly calm so my guess is, everything is fine; they just have a very excited baby who wants to meet them early."

Hermione laughed. "I guess so."

"I heard you were asking for me," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing special," Hermione answered. "Just sit with me?"

"Of course," Harry said, smiling.

* * *

Hermione screamed in pain as she gave another push, nearly crushing Harry's hand in the process. "I c- I can't do this!" she cried.

Harry kissed her temple. "Yes, you can, love. You're one of the strongest people I know; you can do this, I know you can."

"Harry, I'm scared," she said, her voice small and shaking.

He nodded. "Me too, love. But what was the first thing I told you when you told me you were pregnant?"

"W- we'd get through it t- together," she replied.

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yes, we will. You and me, from now until forever." She nodded, tears running down her face. He wiped them away and kissed her forehead. "You ready to meet our kid?"

She gave him a weak smile and nodded before looking back to the mediwitch. "Okay," she said. Tightening her grip on Harry's hand, she followed the mediwitch's instructions, screaming in pain all the while. After what felt like forever, the mediwitch instructed Hermione to give one last push and _finally_ , their baby was born. Their _son_ was born.

Harry beamed when he laid eyes on his son while Hermione collapsed back onto the bed, a layer of sweat covering her face. The mediwitch put the baby on Hermione's chest and Hermione grinned as she looked at her little boy. "Hello, handsome," she said.

As the mediwitch took the baby to be cleaned and weighed, Harry put a wet rag on Hermione's face, cleaning up some of the sweat and cooling her off. When he removed the rag, he looked at her and smiled. "You are an incredible woman," he said, quietly. She gave him a tired smile and entwined her fingers with his.

When the mediwitch came back, the baby was wrapped in a blanket and a little hat sitting on his head, Harry helped Hermione into a sitting position so she could hold her son for the first time. "He's so tiny," Harry said, quietly.

Hermione smiled at the small bundle in her arms. "He's perfect," she said.

"Do you know what you'd like to name him?" the mediwitch asked.

The couple looked at each other and smiled. "Ben," Harry said, having decided on the name weeks ago. "Benjamin James Potter."

The mediwitch smiled and nodded. "We'll need you to sign the birth certificate later but that can wait. Would you like to let visitors in now?"

"Teddy first," Hermione said, looking at Harry. "He needs to meet his little brother."

Harry smiled and kissed Hermione's temple. Harry nodded and left the room to get his other son. Teddy was fast asleep in Josh's arms when Harry walked into the lobby but was woken up quickly by hearing the excited whispers of his grandparents as they found out about his new sibling. "Hi kiddo," Harry said, when he saw that Teddy was awake. "I have some exciting news for you."

Teddy rubbed his eyes and looked at his father expectantly. "You have a little brother," Harry smiled.

Teddy beamed and jumped off Josh's lap only to latch onto Harry's leg. "Can I meet him?"

Harry laughed and picked the toddler up. "Of course, kiddo." He looked back to his in-laws and smiled. "I'll come back for you in a few minutes. We wanted to introduce Teddy to the baby first."

Liz smiled and nodded understandingly. "Of course."

Harry led his son back down the hall where Hermione's room was but stopped right outside the door and placed Teddy in front of him. "I need you to understand something, Teddy," Harry said.

"Yes, daddy," Teddy said, eyes wide.

"The baby is very fragile- do you know what that means?" Teddy nodded and Harry continued. "You won't be able to play with him for a while because he won't be able to do much. I need you to be as gentle as possible whenever you're around him, okay? Promise me that."

"I promise, daddy," Teddy said. Harry smiled and ruffled Teddy's hair.

"You ready to meet your brother?"

"Almost," the toddler replied. "I don't know his name."

Harry laughed and nodded. "His name is Ben."

"Ben," Teddy repeated and smiled. "I like it."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad, kiddo. You ready?"

Teddy nodded and took Harry's hand as they entered the room. Hermione looked up and smiled as she saw her boys enter the room. "Hi Teddy," she said. "You want to meet your brother?"

Teddy nodded and Harry picked him up, placing him on the bed, then sitting behind him. Hermione adjusted the baby in her arms and Teddy leaned forward to get a better look. "This is Ben; your brother."

Teddy smiled at the infant and his hair changed from it's usual bright blue color to a darker shade. "He's tiny," Teddy said.

"He won't be for long," Harry replied.

Teddy's smile fell a little and he looked to his parents. "Do you think he'll like me when he's older?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "He'll love you, Teddy. And we'll love both of you with all our hearts from now until forever. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

Teddy smiled and nodded and leaned against Harry. "I won't," he said. Harry ran his fingers through Teddy's hair and watched as Hermione held and took care of the baby like a natural. He smiled to himself and sighed happily. He finally had what he always wanted: a family.

* * *

 ** _P.S. Epilogue will be posted sometime before the end of the week._**

 ** _I did my best to keep this chapter as accurate as possible. Please forgive any mistakes that might be in here about pregnancy; most of the information that's in here, I got off the internet._**

 ** _Please review!_**


	42. Epilogue

_**A/N: Well... this is it. The final chapter. This story started off as a small idea and turned into one of the biggest projects I've ever written. I'm pretty proud of how it came out. I hope you guys are too.**_

 _ **Tallyho!**_

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

 _2003_

Benjamin James Potter and Andrew Frank Longbottom were both born on 16 April, 2003 within hours of each other. Molly sobbed in happiness at both of the births and gave both Ginny and Hermione bone crushing hugs that left both young women breathless. While Ron and Daphne were named the godparents of Ben, Harry and Hermione were named the godparents of Andrew.

Much like Harry as an infant, Ben began to quickly resemble his father in nearly every aspect except for his dark brown eyes- a trait he inherited from his mother. Teddy and Ben quickly became inseparable which was both a good thing and a bad thing; especially when Teddy would eventually teach his brother how to torment the elves by sitting on them. Dahlia insisted she and the elves didn't mind but Hermione wouldn't hear of it and always made Teddy apologize on both his and his brother's behalf; Ben would later apologize for himself once he was older.

Draco and Astoria married in August and new developments into cancer prevention in wizards were being researched in the M. A. D. Ward. By the time Christmas came around, both Harry and Hermione had had a busy and full year but as they sat by the fire in the Manor study, Teddy and Ben fast asleep on the sofa next to them, they agreed they wouldn't change a thing.

* * *

 _2004_

The following year, Harry, Draco, and Neville were named Heads of Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff, respectively. Luna also joined the Hogwarts staff- appropriately teaching Care of Magical Creatures- and was immediately named Head of Ravenclaw. Together, the four of them worked to ensure inter-house unity and by the end of the year, bad blood between the houses was a thing of the past.

Daphne and Astoria both announced they were pregnant within several weeks of each other in late June/early July while Hermione worked with Naomi Fox and the facility in Oslo to develop a new potion that would detect cancer early on in wizards. It would be another year of tests and exchanges before the final product could be released to the public but it never stopped Hermione from researching and working and researching some more.

* * *

 _2005_

In mid-January, Head Healer Waters stepped down from his position in the hospital and promoted Hermione as the new Head Healer. A large celebration was thrown in honor of Hermione's promotion at Potter Manor with all their friends and family and, at the end of the night, Harry expressed his pride and love for Hermione in a way that left her breathless, sweaty, and more than sated.

Daphne gave birth to her second daughter- Margaret Hermione Weasley- the following month on Valentine's day, naming Draco and Astoria the godparents. Three days later, Hermione discovered she was pregnant again.

"I thought I told you that I wanted to wait," Hermione said to Harry when she told him the news.

He shrugged. "You did. I can't help it if nature decides it's time for us to have another baby."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He bit his lip. "Just a little."

She chuckled and shook her head. "This is the last one, Harry. I mean it."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

A grin then appeared on her lips and he laughed as they threw their arms around each other, smiling in excitement.

Astoria gave birth to her son- Scorpius Draco Malfoy- in early March, choosing Ron and Daphne as the godparents (Ron nearly choked when he found out Draco was the one who had suggested that he be the godfather) but continued her work while on maternity leave.

"There's too much to be done to just sit around," she explained.

"Tori, you're nursing a baby," Daphne argued. "You should be relaxing and enjoying the time you have with him."

"Thank you!" Draco said, thankful Daphne was agreeing with him.

Astoria rolled her eyes. "I spend plenty of time with Scorpius. If anything, I spend more time with him than I do working. But when he's sleeping, I take advantage of the break I have and research and go over paperwork. Relax, sis. I've got this all under control." And she did. No one was sure how, but Astoria balanced taking care of a newborn while working without ever breaking a sweat. And when she returned to work after getting off maternity leave, she never slowed down once- something Hermione was grateful for as her growing belly began to slow her down.

Hermione gave birth to her and Harry's daughter in early October, naming her Emma Lily Potter- Ginny and Neville were named the godparents. She had her mother's curly brown hair (fortunately, it was far more manageable than Hermione's had been) and her father's bright green eyes. As she grew, she also inherited her mother's intelligence and used it often- especially when avoiding pranks that her brothers tried to pull on her.

On Christmas Eve that year, George and Angelina announced they were expecting another baby, much to Molly's excitement. Later in the evening, after returning to the Manor for the night, Harry received a letter in the mail from Dudley letting him know that Laura was pregnant as well and asked for advice on what to do.

Harry laughed and looked to Hermione. "Any tips for my dear cousin?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Tell him to learn how to change a nappy as soon as possible."

He laughed again and kissed his wife. "Now this is something I can't wait to see."

* * *

 _2006_

Daisy Dursley was born in August the following year. "We named her Daisy because I wanted to keep the tradition that our grandparents started with both our mums," Dudley explained to Harry. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."

Harry smiled and nodded, doing everything he could to hold back the tears that were welling in his eyes.

Fred Weasley II was born on the first of September of the same year much to everyone's amusement. "Just think," George said. "He'll be sorted on his birthday! Won't that be fun!" Angelina simply rolled her eyes and smiled at the newborn in her arms.

Near Halloween that year, Teddy approached Harry with a question.

"Can you tell me about my parents?" he asked. "My birth parents."

Harry smiled- knowing this day would be coming sooner or later- and patted the seat next to him on the sofa. "What would you like to know?"

Teddy shrugged. "Who were they? What were they like?"

Harry sighed and thought. "Well, as you know, your father and my father were the best of friends." Teddy nodded. "They met in their first year of Hogwarts and remained friends until my father's death." Harry smiled as he thought of Remus. "You know, your father had a dark secret that very few people were privy to."

"Really?" Teddy asked. "What was it?"

"Your father was a werewolf," Harry replied. He felt a swell of pride when Teddy didn't blink at that fact. "He was bitten as a child and had to carry the burden of being a werewolf with him for the rest of his life. When my father and two of their other friends found out, Remus was terrified that they would reject him because, in his mind, he was a monster."

Teddy shook his head. "No, he wasn't. He was a good werewolf," he said.

Harry smiled and ruffled Teddy's hair. "Yes, he was. And my father and his friends saw that in Remus. Which is why, when they found out about his secret, they didn't care. If anything, they did something rather remarkable."

"What?"

"They became animagi for him."

Teddy's eyes widened. "Really?"

Harry chuckled. "Yes. You see, werewolves are dangerous to be around as a human but as an animal, you'll be safer. So my father, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew (Remus and my dad's two other friends) all became animagi to be with your father during the full moon period when he would be a werewolf."

"What were they?" Teddy asked.

"My father was a stag, Sirius was a large black dog (occasionally called the Grim), and Peter was a rat."

"Wow," Teddy replied.

Harry smirked. "They called themselves the Marauders and gave each other nicknames. Remus was Moony, my father was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, and Peter was Wormtail." Harry waved his wand and a piece of parchment flew out of the nearby desk and into his lap. "Together, the four of them created this map; it's called the Marauder's Map." He took a deep breath and handed it to Teddy. "I want you to have it," he said.

Teddy looked at it wide eyed. "A- are you sure?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. From one Marauder's son to another, it seems right that you have it. However, I want you to use it wisely. This is not an excuse for you to cause trouble once you get to Hogwarts, do you understand? If I catch you using it wrongly, I _will_ take it back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Teddy said.

Harry kissed his temple and smiled. "There's a good lad. Now, you won't be able to use the map properly until you get your wand but this is how you open it." He tapped his wand against the map and said: "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The map opened and Teddy smiled as he saw the parchment come to life. Before he could read the greeting, however, Harry closed it again. "Mischief Managed," he said. He held the map out to Teddy and he took it with shaky hands. "Treat it well, use it wisely, and, above all, _don't_ teach your brother how to open it. If he ever got his hands on that, your mother would never forgive me."

Teddy chuckled and nodded. "Yes, sir." He bit his lip in hesitation before speaking again. "Speaking of mother's could you tell me about mine?"

Harry grinned. "Well, Tonks was a whole other character," he began and Teddy listened intently as Harry told his son about his mother and, eventually, how she met his father, the Marauder's Map sitting in his lap the entire time.

* * *

 _2009_

Teddy Lupin woke up on the morning of August 1st with a grin on his face and a bounce in his step. He flew out of bed, showered quickly, then practically ran downstairs to the kitchen.

"Teddy, slow down!" Hermione said, when he nearly crashed into her.

"Sorry mum," Teddy said.

Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead. "Are you excited?" He grinned and nodded causing Hermione to laugh. "Well, I'm glad. However, we're not leaving just yet so sit down and eat something while I check on your sister, okay? And eat _slowly_ , otherwise you'll get sick."

"Yes mum," Teddy replied. As Hermione walked out of the room, Teddy sat at the table only to have a large plate of waffles placed in front of him by Dahlia. She grinned at him before disappearing back into the kitchen.

As he ate, he heard laughter coming from the foyer and laughed as he saw his father run into the kitchen with his brother on his back, making airplane noises with his mouth. "We have reached our destination. Thank you for flying with Potter Airlines and have a great rest of your day," Harry said, causing little Ben to laugh.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Ben said, sliding off Harry's back and taking a seat next to Teddy and digging into his own plate of waffles that Dahlia placed on the table. Harry smiled and walked over to his eldest, kissing him on the top of his head. "You excited for today?" Harry asked.

Teddy smiled. "Yeah," he replied.

"Nervous?" Harry asked.

Teddy nodded. "A little."

"Don't be," Harry said. "This is the fun part of it all. You get your wand, your books, your robes… and we'll be there with you the whole time. You have nothing to be nervous about, I promise."

Teddy nodded and smiled. "Thanks dad."

Harry ruffled his hair. "Anytime, Teddy."

Just then, Hermione entered the kitchen carrying little Emma and smiled. "Better eat up," she said. "We're leaving in an hour."

After breakfast, the family apparated to Diagon Alley where Hermione split up the tasks that needed to be done that day. "Okay, Harry, you and Teddy go to Ollivander's and get Teddy's wand then head to Madame Malkins and get him fitted for robes. We'll take care of his books and potions ingredients. We can all meet back up at Michel's gallery in, say, an hour?"

Everyone nodded then went their separate ways. Harry placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder and led him into Ollivanders where they found Dean Thomas working behind the counter. "Hello Harry," he said.

"Hi Dean," Harry replied. "Teddy, here, needs a wand."

"Starting your first year, are you, Teddy?" Dean asked.

Teddy quietly nodded and Dean smiled. "Well, you came to the right place. Let me see what I can find for you." Dean pulled several boxes down from a nearby shelf and handed one wand to Teddy. "Try that one," he said. Teddy held it in his hand but frowned at it. "I don't think it likes me," he said.

Dean shook his head. "That one was a bit of a stretch anyway." He took the wand from Teddy and switched it with another one. Teddy shook his head when he held that one as well and gave it back to Dean.

After three or four more tries, Teddy was beginning to get discouraged but Dean wouldn't hear of it. He left the father and son in the front as he wandered into the back to grab a different box. When he brought it back to the front, he smiled. "Try this one."

From the moment Teddy held the wand in his hand, he was grinning from ear to ear. After waving the wand somewhat, Dean smiled as well and nodded. "I think we've found it." Walking over to a small notepad, he muttered to himself as he wrote. "12 and 14" in length, Redwood, unicorn hair core, pliant." He looked up at the father and son and smiled. "Alright, you're all set."

After paying for the wand and getting Teddy fitted for his robes, Harry led his son to Michel's new gallery that opened in Diagon Alley just a few months ago. "Good morning, my young friends!" Michel exclaimed when he saw Harry and Teddy walk in.

Harry smiled and hugged his friend. "How has your shopping trip gone so far?" Michel asked.

Harry nodded. "Good. Teddy got his wand and he's been fitted for his robes."

Michel smiled and looked at Teddy. "Are you excited to start school?"

Teddy smiled and nodded. "I'm a little nervous but I am excited."

Michel ruffled Teddy's hair and chuckled. "Don't be nervous, my young friend. You'll be just fine."

Just then, there was a knock at the window and the three turned to find Hermione looking through the window, smiling. She gestured to Teddy for him to come outside as Ben and little Emma walked into the gallery, making a beeline for their father. Teddy left the gallery and looked at his mother who immediately covered his eyes with her hand. "Close your eyes, love."

"What?" he asked.

"Just close your eyes," she said again. He complied. "Are they closed?" she asked.

He nodded and she removed her hand from his eyes. A moment later, she gave him permission to open them. He opened his eyes and gasped when he saw the beautiful Tawny owl sitting in the cage in front of him. "Mum, is that-"

Hermione nodded. "She's yours. I know you wanted to take Cicero with you to school but with all the correspondence I'm doing with Oslo, I can't really spare him at the moment so I thought I'd get you a familiar of your own. Do you like her?"

Teddy grinned and nodded. "She's perfect," he said. Hermione smiled and handed her son the cage. "She's all yours, love."

Teddy placed the cage gently on the ground and threw his arms around his mother's waist. "Thank you, mum."

Hermione hugged her son back tightly and kissed the top of his head. "You're very welcome, Teddy." When they broke their embrace, Teddy looked back to the owl who hooted at him. "What are you going to name her?" Hermione asked.

Teddy thought for a moment before answering. "Bella," he said.

"It's perfect," Hermione answered. Bella hooted in agreement.

* * *

 _1 September 2009_

Teddy looked up at the barrier that would lead to Platform 9 and ¾ and swallowed. Harry put his hand on his son's shoulder and smiled. "Wanna do it together?" he asked.

Teddy nodded and tightened his grip on his cart as Harry led him through the barrier. Suddenly, instead of a wall, Teddy saw a large train in front of him and a platform full of people. He heard his mother and two siblings enter the platform from behind him but paid them no mind as he looked around the place in awe, Harry leading him through the throng of people. Finally, they found an opening in the crowd and Harry shuffled everyone into the opening.

Harry began to load Teddy's luggage onto the train while Hermione triple checked his bag. "Did you pack an extra toothbrush?" she asked.

"Yes, mum," Teddy replied and Harry laughed. "Hermione, relax. He has everything he needs and, in case you're forgetting, I work at the school. If there's anything that he needs from home, I can easily floo home and bring it to him." Teddy nodded in agreement.

Hermione sighed and nodded. "I know, I know."

Teddy smiled. "I'll be okay, mum. I promise."

She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "Write home often, okay? And listen to your professors- _especially_ your father. And stay out of trouble."

"Yes, mum," he said.

She hugged him close then released him so he could hug his siblings. "I'll write as often as possible, okay?" he told Ben.

Ben grinned and nodded. "I wanna know _everything_ ," he said.

Teddy laughed. "I'll do my best!" he said, then turned his attention to his baby sister. "Hi Em," he said.

"I don't _want_ you to go!" Emma said, her green eyes filling with tears.

Teddy patted her head and smiled. "Don't be sad, squirt. I'll be back before you know it!" Emma pouted and looked at her brother sadly but before she could cry, Hermione picked her up. "Don't be making your brother feel bad, Emmie. He'll be back soon, I promise."

Emma nodded and burrowed herself into Hermione's shoulder. While his wife was preoccupied with their daughter and Ben was looking at the train, Harry pulled Teddy into a tight hug. "Remember, no matter what house you end up in, we'll always be proud of you."

Teddy smiled and hugged his father tighter. "I'm nervous, dad."

Harry kissed Teddy's head. "I was too, Teddy. But, I promise, you have nothing to be worried about; if anything, you should be excited. Hogwarts will be your home away from home for the next seven years. You're going to make so many memories and you're going to meet so many people. You're going to be just fine, Teddy."

Teddy smiled and looked up at his father. "And you'll be there?"

"Every day," Harry said, returning his son's smile.

Teddy hugged his father one last time then jumped on the train, finding a compartment with a window that faced his family. The four Potters waved at Teddy as the train left the station and started the long journey to Hogwarts.

Hermione looked to Harry after the train had gone and smiled at him. "Keep an eye out for our boy, okay?"

"Always," he replied.

* * *

 _The Sorting Ceremony_

Teddy looked at the enchanted ceiling and smiled. _It's enchanted to look like the night sky,_ Hermione had told him. _That doesn't make it any less beautiful_. He had to agree, it was rather spectacular.

When Professor Vector gathered everyone's attention, Teddy looked up to the staff table and smiled when he saw Harry smiling back at him. He waved to Neville, Draco, and Rolf- who was filling in for Luna while she was out on maternity leave- then quickly turned his attention back to Professor Vector when she began to call out names.

Teddy's name was called faster than he would have liked and he very timidly walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor Vector placed the hat on Teddy's head and Teddy waited patiently as the hat decided where to put him. "Very interesting lineage," the hat said. "The son of a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff but you have traits that would benefit you in all four houses."

"I just want to be placed where I can be the best person I can be," Teddy told the hat.

"How admirable," the hat said. "HUFFLEPUFF!" It exclaimed.

Teddy smiled and walked over to the Hufflepuff table. As he sat down, he made eye contact with Harry, who beamed with pride, and his smile grew. He knew, from the smile Harry was giving him, he was in the right house.

Draco leaned over to Harry, smirking. "Told you he'd be a Hufflepuff. You owe me ten galleons."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You'll get your money, Malfoy. Just let me enjoy my son's Sorting."

Draco chuckled and nodded. "When you talk to him later, be sure to give my congratulations to him. He's going to do very well there."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he will."

* * *

 _First Day of Classes_

Harry smiled as he watched his First Years enter the Defense classroom, Teddy among the throng of students. He winked at his bright blue haired son as the students sat down before starting class. "Good morning," Harry said. "I'm Professor Potter and I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the next seven years. Before we start, I'd like to get some questions out of the way that I've been asked over the years: 1) Yes, I am _that_ Harry Potter. No, you may not have my autograph." The students chuckled at that and Harry smirked before growing more serious. "2) Please don't ask me any questions about the war. It was more than ten years ago and I'd like to leave it in the past, where it belongs. 3) The Duelling club will resume this year as scheduled in the beginning of October. More information will be placed on the news boards in your respective common rooms, but if you have any additional questions, you're more than welcome to approach me or Professors Malfoy or Longbottom with them. Now that those are settled, are you ready to begin our lesson?"

The students nodded and Teddy smiled. Harry smiled and waved his wand at the board as writing began to appear on it. "Please turn your books to page twenty-four. Today, we're going to learn about basic defensive spells," Harry said.

 **The End.**

* * *

 ** _P.S. What a week... for those of you who don't know, I graduated college yesterday. It feels weird being done with school and also being done with this story... I'm happy but sad too._**

 ** _I just want to thank all of you who have stuck it out with this story and have been so incredibly patient with me as I know chapter postings took a little while. Huge thank you to my beta Almostgalen who gave me some wonderful advice while I was writing this story._**

 ** _Thank you for your kind words, your favorites and follows, and your support in general. It makes my day every time I see a review!_**

 ** _Someone did ask me if there was going to be a sequel to this story; as of right now, no. I've got a couple of other things I'm working on right now and a sequel is not on that list but who knows, maybe I'll change my mind. We'll see._**

 ** _As for one last Pinterest thing: a picture of Teddy's Tawny owl is on the WCN Pinterest board (once again, link is on my profile)._**

 ** _Please send your girl some love via reviews! :-)_**

 ** _Stay Golden, my friends!_**


	43. In Addition

_**Hello lovelies! I realized about halfway into this story that there are A LOT of kids born into this story and I started to lose track of them so I made up this list to help me remember who was born when. I felt like it'd be necessary to post for your guys' sake as well.**_

 _ **NOTE: There are children on this list (who are canon) who do not make an appearance in this story. Frankly, most of them don't appear simply because I couldn't find the right place to put them into the story but since they're canon, it seemed appropriate to add them. I also added their Hogwarts house simply cause I wanted to. It's kind of fun when you're sorting people...**_

 _ **Anyway, hope this helps you!**_

 ** _Tallyho!_**

* * *

Tonks/Remus (later Harry/Hermione) = Teddy Lupin: April 3, 1998 (Hufflepuff)

Bill/Fleur = Victoire Weasley: May 2, 1999 (Gryffindor)

Val/Michel = Adeline Bouvier: April 21 2000 (Slytherin)

Ron/Daphne = Charlotte "Charlie" Weasley: June 1, 2000 (Slytherin)

George/Angelina = Roxanne Weasley: February 18, 2002 (Gryffindor)

Bill/Fleur = Dominique Weasley: November 8, 2002 (Ravenclaw)

Percy/Audrey = Molly Weasley II: December 2, 2002 (Ravenclaw)

Harry/Hermione & Ginny/Neville = Benjamin Potter and Andrew Longbottom: April 16, 2003 (Slytherin and Gryffindor, respectively)

Percy/Audrey = Lucy Weasley: January 2, 2004 (Ravenclaw)

Bill/Fleur = Louis Weasley: June 23, 2004 (Hufflepuff)

Ron/Daphne = Margaret "Maggie" Weasley: February 14, 2005 (Gryffindor)

Draco/Astoria = Scorpius Malfoy: March 1, 2005 (Slytherin)

Harry/Hermione = Emma Potter: October 15, 2005 (Gryffindor)

Dudley/Laura = Daisy Dursley: August 23, 2006 (Hufflepuff)

George/Angelina = Fred Weasley II: September 1, 2006 (Hufflepuff)

Luna/Rolf = Lysander and Lorcan Scamander: July 9, 2009 (Ravenclaw and Slytherin, respectively)


End file.
